


Motion

by Unknowntome11



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Character Death, F/F, Friendship, Little bit of angst, Other, Romance, Supernatural - Freeform, mature - Freeform, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27488251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unknowntome11/pseuds/Unknowntome11
Summary: The Royals, the guards and the fallen gods. They form a strange connection, unexpected. One goes missing, it stirs up suspicions within the girls.How will the royals uphold to their new responsibilities? How will the fallen gods coop up with their new found emotions? What is the guards mission?
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1:Plot

**Author's Note:**

> In the beginning there was Yves, witnessing the creation of the new gods. The protectors of realty travel from on region to the other, from one world to the other. Yves meets an innocent girl, her first act of sin. It triggers emotions, events and bounds that no one thought they had.

Her vision is blurry. Lazy eyes threatening to close again. Heejin hangs her head back trying her best to stay focused. She catches it between blooded hands and takes a deep breath. The scent of blood fill her lungs. The presence of someone familiar. The ringing in her ears deafens all the sound around her and she is unable to filter it out.  
“How bad does it look?” Hyunjin shakes her head. It means she doesn’t want to answer, but busy tending to Heejin's wounds.  
Voices clear and she hears Yves calling Chuu. It is so far away, yet, she hears Yves’ whispers to the one in her arms. Heejin can see them, yet they are far away. The unconscious girl does not respond to the weeping one holding her. Blood everywhere.  
A screech, a loud noise like a tormented soul that wants to be released. It sounds horrible, horrifying. Hyunjin shuts her eyes for a moment and clenches on Heejin hands. It hurts, but it's makes the healer safe. She leans in and connects their foreheads. Whispering a promise.  
Another scream, this time louder. It grabs her attention to the gigantic monster hanging from a destroyed Seoul tower. Heejin looks at the monster. The many eyes look for the three that are attacking it. While four arms are holding it in its place, the other two it uses to fend itself.  
A flash of red-light pierces though its palm and the monster began to emit series of squeaks and clicks. The Odd Eye Circle girls and Vivi are keeping it occupied until back-up arrives. Heejin’s ears catches the disturbance in space. It is followed by a blue light. Jinsoul appears besides a very angry and tearing Red eyed wolf.  
Olivia Hye has Go Won carried on her back. Her eyes blood red fixated at the gigantic prey. Jinsoul takes the injured girl away. There are so many ways to pass off a wolf. One of them is harming Go Won. She says something to Jinsoul and the blonde girl nods. She lands on all four as her transformation takes over her completely. She howls and speeds to the front line. Immediately, she rips off one of its arms. That thing has no idea what is coming for it. For the first time Heejin sees its mouth opening wide, revealing three rows of teeth, each as sharp as a dagger, the inside of its mouth is an inky blackness. The wolf attacks mercilessly. Her anger is uncontained as she rips a chunk of off the monster that fails to protect itself from all the four attacking it.  
Jinsoul is back again. Heejin looks down at her own hands, finding them fully healed. She catches Hyunjin’s eyes as the color fades from its golden yellow to the original black.  
“Command center is still offline; I don’t know if there are other injured members in the vicinity. Can you find anyone?” she sniffs. Hyunjin bring her hair in a ponytail and secures it with a worn-out hair band.  
“Jinsoul unnie just came back, I will coordinate with her. Chuu unnie needs medical car-"  
“Go" the healer says bluntly, cutting her off. Heejin knows what the sudden order is all about. It is her awkward way for caring about others. Heejin grabs her sword and was about to leap to Jinsoul’s position “Be careful” she hears. It was low and fast, but Heejin’s ears always catches it clearly.  
“Did you say something?” She asks turning around, but Hyunjin shrugs and keeps her eyes at the howling monster being attacked by the members.  
Heejin leaps from atop of the hill. She lands directly besides Jinsoul who was shocked at seeing her. “HEEJIN!” she is taken in a big hug “I was looking all over for you. The command center is offline and I cannot reach Yoejin.”  
“Chuu unnie needs medical attention. She is being treated by Yves unnie, but she cannot fully close her wounds."  
“Where is she?” Jinsoul sheathes her gun. Ready to teleport.  
“They were knocked out to behind the subway station. By the bus stops" she points the direction. It is far from here.  
“Kip Lip!” Jinsoul shouts as her odd eye ignites a blue light. The speedster felt the call and immediately heeded.  
“What is it?” the ashen haired girl stands as she catches her breath placing a hand on Jinsoul’s shoulder.  
“Can you get me to where Chuu and Yves are?” she rounds her arm around the speedster's waist for support “Can you support the Frontline?” Heejin nods. Kim Lip then takes off going to where the hiding members are.  
Heejin looks up, this sky is grey. She never liked coming to this world. She hated it. It always drags them in asking for their help, asking to be saved from destruction. Unbothered by the idea that one of them might be sacrificed every time it calls. No remorse towards the savors. Heejin closes her eyes trying to clear her thought.  
Heejin bolts towards the monster, unsheathing her blade, sending a crescent shockwave at Olivia’s direction. The wolf feels it and dodges the attack only for it to land on the monster’s head. Some of its eyes gets damaged. Five gone and hundred more to go. Heejin inspects the head one more time. She watches as it heals at an incredible speed. It almost as fast as Hyunjin’s healing technique.  
“Unnie,” her voice thick, mixed between her human and animal self “Chuu unnie’s heartbeats are weak. Where is Hyunjin?” She shifts back to her human form. She leans on Heejin for support, head low, hair covering her face. Heejin takes her somewhere far away from the monster’s sight. They leave Vivi and Choerry to further distract the monster. “I need to rest a bit” the little wolf leans against the wall, slides down to the floor and closes her eyes. “It regenerates if we don’t keep attacking it.”  
“It's okay. You need to rest” Heejin has no idea for how long the members have been fighting this thing. She was the last to be teleported by Choerry. They made it in time taking immediate action to block the monster’s attack, to save her friends from the destructive energy. She managed to block the attack, but it did leave critical damage to the empty city. It was a miracle.  
She woke up finding herself covered by Hyunjin. Choerry must have brought them here so Hyunjin can heal her. The shock was so powerful that her shield was destroyed during the attack. If it to decide to use that attack one more time, Heejin will not be able to do anything to protect anyone. Chuu is not here to use her own shield.  
How did the anomaly find this world? How did it get teleported to this waste land? What is attracting it to this place?  
“Unnie, you don’t have to stay here” the wolf girl says, her eyelids too weak to stay open. “I can look after myself" she sniffs and wipes the sweat from her face. Strands of hair stick on her forehead. Her breaths are shallow and fast. Hyejoo Must have been fighting that thing for a long time.  
“I’ll go find Jinsoul unnie, she will get you to safety” Heejin leaves Olivia Hye in her state and runs outside of the small apartment building. She makes zigzags towards the heat zone. She catches a glimpse of Vivi as the robot jump up to the monster’s head and strikes multiple eyes at once. She lands near Choerry who teleports them right above its head near the now open wound. She drops Vivi and she plants explosives in the opening.  
“Yerim-ah" Heejin needed to only shout once. The odd eye girl teleports to Heejin and picks her up.  
“Finally, another heavy hitter" Heejin closes her eyes and readies her sword. She releases her hold and send a crescent strike, this time bigger and cuts of one of the hands the monster is using for support.  
It drops off balance distracted from Vivi. The robot is set clear to detonate the explosives. She triggers as burst of energy and fire covers the monster. The wind clears the fog.  
A huge hole is made. The robot hurries to their side. They stand together watching the monster falling on to the ground in agony. Heejin notices the familiar disturbance in the atmosphere. Jinsoul and Kim Lip join them.  
“Disgusting” Kim Lip remarks. “We need to find a weak point.”  
“My sensors pick nothing and command is still under” Vivi stands in the front acting as their now only tank. “We need to prevent it from healing back" she readies herself to attack again and the girls join her.  
Heejin places a hand on Jinsoul’s shoulder wanting her attention. The girl turns around “Unnie, Hyejoo is inside that apartment building. I left her at the entrance. Can you take her to somewhere safe?”  
“Want me to bring you there?” Kim Lip offers. Jinsoul shakes her head from side to side in response. “No need” she walks away “They need a caption, so take care of them" Jinsoul runs to the wolf’s rescue. Kim Lip inhales deeply and looks to where Vivi is fighting the beast on her own.  
“I wish Yves unnie was here" she mutters to herself trying to relief herself from being responsible of the safety of a royalty and her guard and there is her own team.  
The state Yves was at in that moment. She kept guilt tripping herself over chuu’s injuries. Something happened during the time Heejin deflected that powerful blast the monster unleashed when it was summoned. Something between them? There is no time to think of this right now. She needs to come up with something to clean up this mess. Go back to reality.  
“Alright, we know that it regenerates missing parts and has a very high-level healing ability. Vivi unnie can abuse it with her constant attacks. Choerry can be her back up for when she is in trouble. Heejin and I will look for weak points. Clear?”  
“Crystal” Vivi is the first to answer. Choerry’s optimistic salute confirms it and Heejin’s nod reassures her that everything will go according to plan.  
They leave at her mark. She sees as Heejin casually stops and then resumes her short, but quick hops when she is done observing a movement. The little rabbit hops around beautifully and Kim Lip has no problem following her lead.  
“Unnie" she points to the still missing hand Heejin amputated about ten minutes ago. “It hasn’t healed yet.” Kim Lip fires a shot from her gun. The red laser penetrates the joint area near the elbow, leaving it hanging by flesh. She wants to observe it even further. She signals Heejin to move and they run away from its sight.  
Choerry notices the attack and teleports toward Vivi. The pinked haired robot waits for a signal.  
“Unnie, let’s attack from the other side” Vivi looks to the arm’s condition and nods, lifting her arm so Choerry can take it. She teleports them just above the limb and Vivi’s arms transform into blades. She spins at an incredible speed around herself like a Beyblade and cripples the left arm. She breaks the bones and leaves the arm in the same state the previous one is at.  
“Wow, good work” Jinsoul returns. She takes out her gun and stands besides Kim Lip. “Anything from Yoejin?” she asks as she checks the gun’s battery. It is still full. Jinsoul rarely uses it in fights. Usually she is partnered up with Yves. They take care of searching the opponent’s weak points. Yves is in no condition to get back to the battlefield, she almost succeeded in persuading her, but Kim Lip saw through it all and prevented the caption from joining. She would be too distracted and unbalanced. She could be a danger to herself and the others.  
“We found an opening. It is covered with a hard shells" she hears Kim Lip thoughts run throughout her head. She invades the speedsters thoughts. The ashen haired is still concerned about Chuu’s injuries and Yves guilt. She doesn’t know and Jinsoul doesn’t have in her to say anything or unblock any of these memories. This really can wait. The only present caption must lead them and the team could use some moral boosting. Kim Lip is a natural leader that takes action and keeps the team focused on the matter at hand.  
“How about we wrap it up?” she communicates with the odd eye circle members through the power of their eyes. Kim Lip snaps out of it and it calms her down.  
“You think we can end it without Ol-Hye?” Choerry asks teleporting Vivi and herself to Jinsoul.  
The monsters numerus eyes fixates on the five of them. It screams in anger and death aches itself from the skyscraper. It detaches itself from the building it is holding on into, jumps down, shaking the ground. The members scatter around the vicinity. Vivi and Choerry stay together. Jinsoul teleports Heejin to safety and the caption speeds off somewhere on her own. Jinsoul cannot see her, but her thoughts are still clear, she must be near.  
“Yeah, why not? Heejin can finish it off. Vivi unnie should keep on attacking it and we will hold it in place. After it is bound, Vivi unnie can tear off the protective shell.” Kim Lip instructs. She feels like the same Kim Lip Jinsoul have to usually deal with, which is reassuring. There goes their plan set in motion and the key to succeeding is the little rabbit and her black sword.  
“I am ready whenever you are" Vivi announces. She switches batteries. Her power levels increase. She will probably go out after she removes the shell. Choerry will have to remove her if she goes down on the spot.  
“I’ll get in position and ready myself" Heejin says and takes off to stand in a place.  
“Vivi unnie, you can start attacking it. And keep its face towards me" Jinsoul really hates using her gun, but there is no time to withhold on fear.  
Vivi strikes the shell and Choerry relocates her every time she is in danger. The rabbit went up a building on the opposite side from the one the monster is positioned at. Jinsoul fires her gun. Bright blue light spits into multiple lasers that head directly for the eyes. The monster blocks the attack with an arm, but it was futile. The laser penetrates the arm and hits its mark. It bleeds as it makes squelching noises and drool falls from between it clenching teeth.  
It lifts its head up and screams. The kind of scream that made the blood run cold. It pierced the brain and ignited some primeval pathway. Adrenaline surged through her veins. The type that would test a warrior’s resolve. fight or flight, stand or run, be a hero or a coward.  
Jinsoul looks around trying to find her teammates. They seem to be unbothered by the pathetic desperate display of the opponent. They have heard wore. They ran away from worse. This is nothing. The attacker is pathetic in terms of power, but the one behind it must have succeeded in whatever plan they have. The scenery is so obvious. Distract to achieve something, Chuu would so agree with her.  
They strike again. This time Vivi uses her power mode to destroy the protective shell. Jinsoul teleports to Kim Lip they lock eyes. Their thoughts mingle. She wants to keep it distracted from Vivi. It always attacks Vivi first knowing that it is a major threat. No more delays as Kim Lip locks arms around her and Jinsoul drops them on top of the exposed spine.  
“On the count of three” she says they both count and when they both reached one, their guns transformed, uniting with each other. Hands lock and the others, each, hold the new gun.  
“Fire” Kim Lip orders pulling the triggers semantically. The gun barrel retracts charging the shot and fire a purple ray that drills through the monster’s spine.  
The fiend stands on four limbs uses the third ones in the middle to fend for itself against the odd eye girls. This gave an opening for Vivi to strike. Choerry hurries to her side and takes her away. She drops Vivi and the robot grabs on the loose parts of the shell. Using her all power to yank the shield away. She reveals red glowing crystal.  
Heejin sees the huge red crystal pulsating. It is way bigger than the usual size these monsters have. It darkens then thickens in colour. Her sword vibrates slightly, an indication that it reached full power. Her grip is firm. Heejin lowers herself, pushes her leg-muscles to intensify. She dashes forward noticing the monster’s arm flying towards her. a purple blast from Kim Lip and Jinsoul cuts through the arms amputating it.  
Smoothly, slowly, Heejin unsheathes her sword. Her eyes bright pink and she feels energy courses though her veins. She screams as she whips her sword sending a crescent strike towards the red crystal. She whips again doubling it. They make contact and fly through the ugly screaming gigantic monster.  
Heejin was about to fall to the ground, caught by Choerry who takes her away to where the rest of the girls are.  
“Good job bunny” Jinsoul places a hand on her head ruffling her hair. Heejin watches as the monster, split in half, falls to the ground. She watches as its body evaporates into the atmosphere. Choerry passes some of her powers to temporarily charge up Vivi’s core. The android beams with life with a soft smile.  
“Good work, girls” She softly says standing up “Can we go back now?” odd eye circle girls reach for each other locking hands they put Heejin and Vivi in the middle and channel their powers. They way clears to earth and the mirror opens from underneath them. Choerry is the first to let go as she is the first to jump back. She sets herself as the anchor when Kim Lip and Jinsoul send Vivi and Heejin first. The two then join the rest back to earth and the mirror fades away.  
The android observed the building. The familiar walls of the practice room. Good, they are back to the right place.  
“Guys!”Yeojin runs towards them, tears filling her eyes. “I was so worried” she hugs Kim Lip who laughs and comforts the girl.  
“For how long were we out?” Choerry wipes the youngest’s tears away.  
“Almost a day” they all share a look, a worried one, terrified, sad and angry one.  
“It’s getting worse” Heejin is the first to leave, fast strides to the door as anger fills her heart.  
Kim Lip catches up with Yeojin and the other also dismiss themselves to try to recover from this unpredictable battle.


	2. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello reader,  
> This chapter is a follow up to the event in chapter one. world setting is up in chapter three. I hope i can finish it in time to update more frequently. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter

Under the brightness of the clear sky, the grass reflects the shade of every dreamers meadow. Little Hyunjin in a gold, white summer dress walks on the paved way.

The bonsai trees lined the perfect lawn in their wooden boxes. In the centre there is a pond as large as a small lake with flowering lily pads and a wooden bridge that crossed the middle, creating a perfect symmetry. She walks across only to look down at the koi carp. She hears humming and sees from afar that a small figure in an identical dress to hera, picking flowers. Her curiosity has the best of her and she walks to where the little girl is. The little royalty looks at her own hair then at the girl’s hair, finding that the mysterious white dressed girl has longer hair than hers. When Hyunjin moved, her footfalls are usually quite. She made sure it stays that way. One foot moved forward and the little girl jumped, as if threatened by the sound.  
They lock eyes. Bright pink, so unnatural. It fades and she runs away. She is fast. Hyunjin tries to follow, but the sun is so bright she cannot see anything.

“Aeongieee” someone shakes her. Hyunjin opens her eyes. She find Chuu awake in her hospital bed.   
“You’re awake” she removes her hair from her face and stretches her arms up in the air. She looks at Chuu, who blinds her with a radiant smile.   
“Thank you for healing me” she extends her arms and spreads them demanding for the healer to come in. She really is not in the mood for hugging after a repetitive dream about Heejin. She also knows it’s futile to argue with Chuu. She climbs the bed and throws herself in Chuu’s arms.   
“I spent the entire night healing you, you know” she murmurs and the older girl laughs heartedly.  
“Sorry to trouble you, but I could have not made it without you.”  
“Sooyoung helped too, before they brought you to me” she speaks sleeplessly, liking the smell. It smells like sleep. She always likes the way Chuu smells. It is fresh, warm yet cold, but also so unfamiliar. She also smells like Yves, Gowon and Olivia Hye. Is that because they grew up in the same place? But then Choerry smells nothing like Kim Lip and Jinsoul.   
“Where is she?”   
“Who?” she is lost as her eyelids glued to each other.   
“Yves” Chuu shakes her and Hyunjin lifts herself up. She lands back in her own chair and hangs her head back. She catches Yves footfalls.   
“Behind the door” she says pointing at the closed door “I think she is waiting for me to leave” Hyunjin knows that Yves did something and Chuu was either caught in the cross fire or something between them. It explains why she was in that state. Why Yves was begging Hyunjin to heal Chuu, so save her. “Do you want me to leave?”  
“No!” Chuu is not a lair, she cannot lie and she is not lying right now.   
“I have to go anyway” She stands up putting on her coat and facemask. She takes a quick look in the small table mirror, smiles and winks then speeds away to the door.

Leaving, Hyunjin doesn’t like to miss a moment where she knows she will tease one of her team members and win. She herself didn’t know why she did that. Was it a recently developed habit? Or something she just liked doing?

She quickly closes the door and stares daggers at the taller girl in an oversized long black coat. Hyunjin’s facemask covers most of her facial expressions and kind of makes it hard for Yves read her micro expressions.  
“She is still recovering. I wouldn’t talk too much if I were you” she coldly says. Yves inhales deeply. Hyunjin noticing her neck muscles tighten as her slim frame gets even slimmer.   
“I didn’t plan to stay, just checking on her” her reply showed her guilt again. The so-called gods were really bad at expressing themselves when it came to the simple human emotions.

Hyunjin smells flowers. Her eyes dart to the source. She finds Heejin sitting at the far end of the joint chairs. She completely loses interest in teasing Yves.  
“She is waiting for you” Hyunjin dismisses herself and speeds to the little bunny in black clothes.

Heejin’s ears catch very low footfalls. She closes her book and stands up. There are two people capable of almost walking without making a sound, one of them is gone missing, making the other miss Hyunjin herself. Big bright eyes stare directly at her.   
“Let’s get you home” she says, knowing that the exhausted healer will not protest. She walks ahead of the tired girl.   
“Can you get me breakfast?” Heejin hears. She hums in response and keeps walking. She tries to keep her distance from Hyunjin. She was selfishly trying to treat the healer the same she was treated not some hours ago.

Earlier, Heejin was waiting for Hyunjin to finish so they can go home together. She waited and waited, tried to contact her, but the healer never responded to her. She completely ignored Heejin even when she left Chuu’s room to get something to eat. She then came back acting as if Heejin is not standing there.   
“No coffee, get me thee” Heejin hums again. They exit the hospital through the main door. The car stops just as they cross over.

Heejin opens the door and gets inside first. She fastens her seatbelt and feels Hyunjin snuggling on her right side. As if immediately, the girl falls asleep, dropping her head on Heejin’s shoulder. In that moment, she felt like the world was too small to hide her from her friend. She is so thankful that the healer is sleeping, or she would have seen her tomato red face.

Heejin bites her lower lip. She must have been so tired, tending to Chuu the entire night. She hears stable heartbeats, soft that sound is so familiar. She recognises the healer’s heartbeats whenever she sleeps. Heejin reaches for the girl’s hand and take it in hers. The scent of flowers. It calms her down and she closes her eyes removing all her anger that she unnecessary felt when the girl was ignoring her.

* * *

Every time they see each other, it feels like her heart is ripped out of her chest. Like it’s being held in the hands of that same person that is smiling at her right now. She doesn’t know where to start, she doesn't know how to start. She thought that she would just go and let things flow the way they usually did. She went through ten types of emotions during the time she opened the door and had walked to the hospitalised kith.

Yves sits on the chair that Hyunjin was occupying not minutes ago. She wanted to run away and avoid the confrontation, but when she entered the room and Chuu’s smile was from ear to ear, Yves’ legs took her inside the room. Relief fell on her tensed self, but guilt is taking over ever so slowly. Happiness engulfed her as well as sadness. There, she felt like she was in an interrogation room, but this time she was not the same side as Chuu, she was facing her. Yves is the culprit and Chuu held her freedom in her soft delicate hands.

“I didn’t expect you to come today. I thought that you will be busy taking care of reports” Chuu tries to sits up in her bed and she slowly succeeds. Yves Cannot even touch her right now. What if I hurt her again? “I don’t really remember what happened before the attack” happiness “All I remember is waking up in another world” sadness “It really is hard to try to remember anything” relief “But I hope I can as soon as possible.”  
“You shouldn’t tire yourself. Just focus on recovering” it hurts to talk, to out her words, to try to control her rhythm and to protect her panicking heart from betraying her. Yves smiles at the beaming girl with a very beautiful grin. She seems happy.  
“I was with you, right?” her breath catches and she is about to choke on it.   
“I went looking for you when I heard Gowon calling for you. That thing, took you away and I went to find you” her voice is low. Her throat hurts from trying to explain the situation as vaguely as possible. “I was trying to contact Hyejoo to track you, but she was in the frontlines alone” Yves makes sure the detective doesn’t catch anything suspicious in her story, because Chuu will find out if anything doesn’t add up. She made sure everything is said right, she made sure she speaks and behaves naturally, because a misplaced blink of an eye would alert the detective.   
“Hmm,” Yves shivers “I guess I was mistaken then.”  
“Mistaken?” Chuu locks eyes with Yves who is crumbling down.   
“Yeah” Chuu pauses and Yves is really afraid to answer any question anymore. Afraid that she will say something that triggers a memory, one with the right information she is not ready to share.   
“I meant I thought I was with you before the attack” She herself is still confused and doesn’t understand what to do or where to start. Usually, she speaks of it to the detective and the problem is solved, but this one. This one she is afraid to even think about. “We were discussing something, if I remember correctly” she doesn’t have it in her to hide anything from Jiwoo.

“That was in the morning” this, is not a lie. They were solving a missing person’s case that Yoejin had sent their way. They were making a breakthrough, but had to attend to other important matters. “We were talking about the case we both were trying to solve” her voice level. Her thoughts cleared in that moment. She then realised that she was looking into bruin eyes.

“Your eyes” Chuu says softly with a smile, Yves was clueless. She had no idea what that meant “They always give you away” Yves blinked multiple times. She was trying to figure out how she let herself slip again. How did Chuu find out that there was a lie somewhere in Yves’ perfect story. “Your eyes turn dark red; humans call it burgundy” Yves had noticed that her eyes would shift when she wanted to hide her emotions. The use of her powers is always exposed by those eyes of hers.

“I want you to focus on recovering now. Don’t do anything that will in any way hinder that process, that’s an order” Yves finally dared to reach for her friend. She places her palm against the softness of her cheek and she reacts to her touch like she usually does. “I have to go, so please take care of yourself.”

“Sooyoung” the use of her mundane name made her feel new unfamiliar emotions. Heejin always uses it and it leaves strange tingles behind it. They all got mundane names. Yves looked at the innocence in her eyes when she wanted to ask something.   
“What is it, Jiwoo?” her exited giggle painted a smile on Yves’ face. She knew Chuu’s effect on her. She knew about the little requests she never could resist heeding.  
“Can I call you when I’m bored or when I cannot sleep?” She also knew that Chuu used it to get away with absolutely anything.   
“Sure” she returned to her side only to feel her again. “I’ll be waiting” she pinched her nose and her friend cutely whined. Yves turned ready to leave. “Can I get you anything when I come tomorrow?”   
“Nothing in particular, as long as you’re coming.”

Her mind is set. Yves leaves the room with a last wave and closes the door. She walks further away from the room, making sure that Chuu will not hear anything. She stopped when she had turned left going into the next hallway. A heavy sigh slowly escaped her. She finally did what she wanted to do and move on to the next problem. She felt like a heavy burden got even heavier.

She wanted to contact her team. Yoejin was her best bet. She can track anything and anyone. She walks out of the hospital after she had returned her visitor badge. She calls Yoejin. She places her phone in her pocket, wears the smart glasses Yoejin had made for them and connects her wireless heads and speeds through the crowd unnoticed. He hides her presence from the mundane ones and makes sure others felt her overwhelming presence that they would think twice before trying something.

She kept a steady pace and waited for the girl to pick up the call. It connects

“let me finish with Jinsoul and I’m yours” her loud voice pierced through Yves’ ears. It shook her to the amount of alerting her of her surroundings even better.   
“Alright, tell Jinsoul I want to talk with her as well, can you connect us with her as well?”

“Sure can” the line went silent after she heard ‘please hold.’ Yves wanted to know more of that one disguised as herself. The one that really attacked Chuu. First of all, that attack was defiantly a test more than a distraction. Yoejen ran a check when they went missing. ther was nothing out of the ordinary that could possibly cause it to be a distraction. 

She wants to collect all the missing moments. She wants to collect more information about the other Yves. Who in the team knows that there are two of them? How many know that she is the one that summoned the anomaly. If their plan is to frame her and make her look like a criminal then they-whomever they are- made a huge mistake.

“Sooyoung,” Jinsoul’s voice “It better be something good.”

* * *

The lies that Jiwoo fear most, are the ones close enough to the truth to pass under the radar or else the ones that are so big no one'd never dream a person could make something like that up. She recalls mother Yunhee teaching her how to read someone. How to dissolve the headrest face. It was a blessing and curse, she told her.

The half-truths leads away from trust into a closet xenophobia. That is just worst case scenario. Yves is not afraid of strangers. She taught herself how to keep others at arm’s length. Hyejoo, Chaewon and herself just watched a mimicked her, but each had their own way of wanting to do it. 

She sighs. She doesn’t yet understand why Yves is lying to her. She also doesn’t remember that much. She indeed remembers finding a clue about the recent homicides they were investigating. Then it’s black. 

She can’t get it out of her head. The way Yves had lied. It slipped out, smooth and easy like melted butter running down toast. They would always talk about it. They would always share their new feelings, even Hyejoo who is self-reserved and hates showing her weaknesses. What is her reason?

_Don’t do anything that will in any way hinder that process, that’s an order._

Chuu remembers that as she closes her eyes. She went through a sketch of what she would call a plan. If Yves is hiding something then it must mean that she is back to being stubborn again.

With that decided, Chuu lets go of her compressed thoughts. She drives them away with the peace to fall asleep and set her mind on what’s to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and until the next chapter.


	3. Drifters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of this chapter are 5 year ago.

The court was mainly occupied by officials and royals. The rest were either servants or bodyguards. Hyunjin looks around her as she tries to figure out who is who. She gave up after she realised that she knew all of them, no interesting new faces. The hearing was about the fallen gods from Eden. After a year in hiding, they decided to introduce themselves.

Eden is secluded from the world, no exit no entrance. The fact that these four had found an exit brought up the question that ‘what if there was an entrance?’ Greedy royals and their hunger for more power never really surprised her. Power, status and hatred. And if that wasn’t enough, they poison the next generation with their rotten ideas. Only to turn them into a fragment of themselves to gloat about. They never entered the garden, only Jinsoul, Yerim and Jungeun did when they went to find Olivia Hye. She stayed behind afraid that once she enters, she might not want to leave. Yerim described it as ‘being complete’ and Hyunjin never understood what the odd eye girl meant by that.

Heejin, sitting beside her. She turns to look slightly at the royal who is the next ruler of their regions. Hyunjin refused to be called the successor of her father if they are still in the same political conflict with the Jeon clan. She thought about it many times. Every time her friend would smile brightly at her. The thought of having Heejin as an enemy. She will not wait for her family to disown her, she will save them the trouble and disown herself from their stupidity.

They keep it peaceful under the treaty signed by the leaders, but it’s like a cold war. They never miss an opportunity to torment each other. They refuse to acknowledge that their conflict will only result in bloodshed, but they also refuse to end it.

White knuckles from clenching her fist too hard at the thought of her to just throw a small frown in Heejin’s way. She mentally punched herself for even thinking about it. Her friend helped her go through a lot. She helped her stand against her own father when he was about to execute her older sister for marrying a simple human. Heejin helped her through her breakdown when she was casted out as a nobody. Heejin helped her control her powers when she lost grip of it multiple times. She was also the reason that Hyunjin has been acknowledged for her healing abilities.

“If there are no objections, the drifters will be divided into the clans” the judge speaks. Her blood boils and gritted her teeth from effort to remain silent. He was about to set the order in motion, but she stood up.

“Your highness,” His surprised face when he met hers. His wide eyes when she left her seat and started walking towards the middle of the courtroom, to where the four of the drif- her friends were seated. She catches a glimpse of Heejin behind, who was stopped by her mother. She released herself from her mother’s hold and stood behind Hyunjin. The one beside her gave her so much strength. It made her feel that they could take on anyone, but Hyunjin never wants to be the reason to Heejin’s injuries.

“Introduce yourself, child” his deep voice shakes her being. She stands firm in her place. Growing up with that voice around her, made her think that in time, she would get used to it. It scares her still.

“My name is Kim Hyunjin” the mention of her name creates a silent chaos in the court. She continues “My friends are no body’s property” her voice is loud and it echoes in their ears. She watches as the guards have gathered around them. Heejin shifts and summons her black sword. She stands straight and closes her eyes. She was ready to slash anyone that touched or neared them.

“This is not debatable, daughter” the judge says. Her face was red with suppressed rage at the way he called her. The silent chaos turned into shouting and yelling. Disrespectful, ungrateful, shameful and many more names she heard. The guards drew near to detain them both and the priestess of the moon drew her black sword. She held it high in the air, the last warning before she slices them open.   
“The only reason they agreed to be in this place was, because we told them to” she mentally snapped “They can choose who they want to be. It is their freedom and not yours to decide” she looked her father in the eyes “They are not your property.”

They were about to attack “Stand down” he calls the guards off “I don’t you killing them in my court” his words directed at Heejin. They back off and she seethes her sword and goes back to standing behind Hyunjin.

The one with the red eyes a lot more darker than Jungeun left eye, Yves. Glances at Hyunjin and nods. A silent thank you escapes from her eyes. Hyunjin breathed in as if the gesture encouraging her.   
“We saved them, we helped them and they helped us. They will not be used by pigs like you” comparing a royal to a pig is the insult of the century. She is not as powerful as many of them, but she will fight them all if they to hurt any of the four sitting, imprisoned by the force field. Haseul’s ordered them to never resist, or attack unless she is the one to do so.

“It is not your calling. The drifters are to be kept under control and strict surveillance. Their intensions are unclear to us and we want to protect them and ourselves from any harm” my ass, she thinks. You want to use them as weapons.

“We will take responsibility” Hyunjin turns her head to the one speaking. Haseul! When did she get here? Behind her, Jungeun and Yerim. Now if they to fight against the entire royals in the court they will never stand a chance. She welcomes their assistance with a smile. Jungeun is the first to greet them.

“Jo Haseul” the judge ushers with his hand for her to stand in front of him. He didn’t just respect her, he also admired her and even recommended her to be the next judge after his retirement. Haseul is the only half-blood known to earn any respect. She worked hard to reach what she had reached. She started as an apprentice and ended up a general. She holds the same status as Heejin’s father. Her reputation is known more than her appearance. Everyone was expecting a harsh looking badass with as many scars as the battles she won. When they get to see her, her smile alone is enough to disarm and trick the cruellest of tyrants. No one believed that the person they were looking at right now, is indeed Jo Haseul. 

She bows respectfully as she stands at the hearing alter. She greets everyone around and smiles warmly at the four impassioned. “You may speak” she bows again to thank him. Hyunjin feels Heejin’s hand catches her arm and dragging her to the nearest seat. She follows and sits next to her. Absentmindedly, their hands interwind and she feels Heejin’s mana engulf her.

“To be honest, no one in this room is capable of containing the descendants” she points with her hand and nods. Gowon, the shortest between the four stands up. Her golden waves. If a beam of light could weave itself into strands, that was her hair. It flowed when she walked to the walls of the force field. She merely touched it and the force field evaporated into ash that flew into the air.

The second to stand is Chuu. She smiles brightly and lifts her hand. Like a scene that paused. The ash in the air and what’s around it froze. At the same moment the ash ignites and turns into all the colours of fire. The fire then turns into water that floated in the air. Water turns then into ice and she moves her hand slightly turning it into snow that flew with a gust of cold wind around the court. Most held their eyes wide, mouths fell open and were speechless.   
“We cannot let them loose” one of the attendants says.   
“They are dangerous.”  
“Detain them.”  
More joined. Hyunjin was about to stand up again to shut them up. Heejin tightens her grip around her hand to calm her down. She for some strange reason felt so enraged. She looked at Haseul. She just stood there as if waiting for something to happen.

It did

Chuu lifted both her arms now and the cold wind disappeared leaving only the snow in the air. She clapped her hands and the snow scattering in the court, bursts and turns into light. Like stardust gathering and reflecting all types of colours as it moves to her will. Everyone went silent as the stardust evaporated into nothing. She sat back down. Her smile soft directed at Haseul. Hyunjin looks around at everyone who were shouting and yelling, finding them calming down and surprised at their own actions from just minutes ago.   
“They don’t just control what’s around them, they can take is away and give it back at will” Haseul speaks when Gowon had also returned to her seat “The only reason they agreed to show up here, was me. I told them to go, because it was necessary for you to know what they are” she lowers her head as if regretting sending them “But I had no idea you were trying to claim, or separate them from one another. They are not to be experimented on and neither to be used by anyone” she stands firm and her voice louder than before “They are part of my team, my family and they are my responsibility.”

The judge looks to where the general is sitting to his left. Heejin’s father shakes his head. Then he looks at the woman to the right, Yoejin’s mother. She also shakes her head.   
“Then the order is set in motion” he says.   
“The drifters are to be released into Jo Haseul’s custody” The general says.   
“You will answers to their mistakes, crimes and you will answer to any law they break that is set by the Ruler” Yoejin’s mother say.  
They spoke like one united entity. Neither of them doubting the other. Hyunjin sighs. She looks at Heejin who smiles at her. She felt the world around her again. She felt alive again. Her eyes never leaving the four who were looking at each other. They must be disgusted by the royals display of hunger for power and status. She almost felt ashamed to be part of that. They must have formed low expectations about the royals. Hyunjin will not blame them. They, sooner or later will have be exposed to the reality of this ill formed world.

It probably was all part of Haseul’s plan. She probably wanted to show them the puppet masters before they learn more about this world. She sent them to be acknowledged, but she didn’t expect them to be used like that. The four trust Haseul’s words to the letter. During their stay, they never showed doubts when Haseul taught them the basics. She never left their side as they never left hers.

“We won” came Heejin’s voice. She sighed at her words. For now, they can call this a victory secured by the leader. She pressed her lips tightly and stood up. She walked, but froze. Her brain had shut down. Her eyes were as wide as if someone was coming to deliver the fatal blow, but they were just the deadliest eyes directed her way. Yet what she saw, no-one else could see. Her father’s gaze moved from her to the guards around the four. He ushered them to move away. Haseul bowed again and turned to walk to the ones approaching her. Only then could Hyunjin move again, trying to avoid her father. They gathered around Haseul who was making sure that everyone was okay.

“For a moment there, I thought we were going to have to fight” Yerim is the first one Hyunjin hears when she neared the group.   
“Well, thanks to our brilliant leader we don’t have to do that most of the time” Jungeun places a hand on Yves’ shoulder. She looked at the caption and nodded.  
“I am really sorry” Haseul starts looking at each and every one of them “I thought they will only explain the rules and the consequences of one’s actions” she shakes her head “I had no idea they were going to use you like that” her brown eyes finds Hyunjin’s. she smiles at the leader’s clear guilt and unnecessary sadness. She knew they will stand and watch their kith and kin getting abused by pigs.   
“We trust you” Chuu is the one to relief the leader from whatever she was feeling. Her expression is still saddening to the eye.  
“We were waiting for you to show up. It was getting boring. I almost slept” Olivia Hye starts to walk away followed by Yerim who shoves her. She stops the purple haired girl from pushing her again by throwing an arm around her shoulders to lock her in place.   
“You prevented that moron from acting like a barbarian” Yves is looking at her. She points at the wolf’s direction “I almost lost my grip around her” her shoulders drop as if relieved from the hardest duty ever. Jungeun chuckles.   
“Are we free to do what we want now?” Gowon stares at the two captions and they in return look at Haseul.   
“We can officially give you identities and register you as citizens” she explains “but to answer your question then yeah why not?” she shrugs and looks at Jungeun who also repeats the same gesture. Then her eyes met Hyunjin’s and smiled. “Are you alright standing against your father like that again?” Hyunjin didn’t know what she will do, what she should.   
“I’d rather not think about it” a punishment for another time. She can think about it when he decided her punishment. That should be plenty of time.  
“You could have told us your father was going to execute us” Yves jokes, but Jungeun shakes her head as if telling her that it’s a sensitive topic.  
“It’s okay. My father and I don’t really get along” she says looking at the empty seat he was occupying minutes ago “We have our differences, but he is not that bad” she shrugs, not anymore.

Silence falls between them. They were all fighting the subjects of their thoughts. Haseul was trying to keep her team away from the eyes of the royals. She would expose herself to danger if it means she did that just to keep them away from danger. She might have brought Jungeun and Yerim along, but the odd eye team was the least she ever worries about. They can easily escape if danger occurs, it might also be why they are here.

Hyunjin had stayed behind and to no surprise she finds Heejin still standing beside her. “You should go” she tells her, but the priestess doesn’t move nor does she respond to Hyunjin.   
“Don’t push me away” it took Heejin a minute to speak her mind. Heejin is always too vocal when it comes to Hyunjin’s feelings, but hides in a hole when she is hurt. She detaches herself completely from everyone. “I’m not leaving you” Heejin places a hand on her right shoulder. Hyunjin hates how the small gesture comforts her. Then she looks Heejin’s way. She reaches for the hand that is still on her shoulder and takes it in hers. She lowers her gaze to their only form of connection. The warmth they are so acquainted to and her deep buried feelings that she would rather lock away than to burden her fiend with.   
“I know that” she says. It’s stupid to even think she could tell her about them. Heejin is with someone else and they like each other. She is not going to ruin this small and almost fading connection.   
“Are you alright?” Hyunjin didn’t get the chance to answer. Haseul had returned to them and her expression is hard and filled with fear. Hyunjin removes her hand from Heejin’s who looks at her, but she was way too focused on Haseul.  
“The judge requested audience with me” she says as soon as she had stopped to be in front of them.   
“You think your father will be there too” Hyunjin asks Heejin who shrugs.  
“Maybe, but why?” Heejin addresses the leader.   
“Why do you think?” Haseul shrugs as well and sighs “I’m really uninterested in what they will say, no offence” Haseul looks between them.  
“Non taken” Heejin answers and Hyunjin silently agrees.   
“Come with me. I could use the support” Haseul ushers them with her head and walks to out of the courtroom.

They make their way to a heavy security area. Jungeun is now with them as well. One of guards was blocking the way. He bows, turns around and walks in front of them. Each door they pass by, was guarded by two. They arrive to their destination and the guard stays outside. Haseul opens the door and they enter.

The presence of the two seated across from each other near the front desk intimidates her to no end. There are for guards inside the room separated in the corners. Jungeun, the fifth, leans against the door blocking the common entrance and exit to the room. The judge motions for them to sit on the leather couch that faces the desk.   
“You’re dismissed” he orders the two guards standing behind him. Heejin’s father does the same. The four heading for the door, but were blocked by Jungeun who was leaning against the exit. She didn’t move. Haseul looked behind her and nodded. The caption pushes herself from the door, opens it and exits first.

Hyunjin didn’t sit next to Heejin. Her father was looking at their almost touching hands when they first entered the room. Haseul sat in the middle and they occupied the sides. Hyunjin looks up at her father. One memory repeats as whenever she thinks or look at him. The one where she will never forgive him for causing.

Her sister’s banishment. Her sister’s almost execution, had she not intervened. The sad and depressed state she was at and how she was hunted by the watchers everywhere she went.   
“I hope you realise what you have put yourself into” the judge speaks as he leans back in his seat. He is holding a piece of paper in her hand.   
“Sir, I am well aware” Haseul says they was no hint of second guessing her decision in her voice.   
“Really? Go ahead. Amuse me” Hyunjin lowers her head as her jaw stiffens.   
“Potential threats, watchlists, attempt kidnapping, brainwashing,”  
“Enough” he stops her. Anger filling his words “How did you find out?” he then asks showing her the paper. Haseul takes it and gives it to her. Hyunjin reads the report. A testing facility was discovered that kidnapped humans with sealed magic and used them for tests that could weaponize them. A mindless remote controlled mage. Mages are rare between the royals. Heejin and herself are the only magic users to be born with it.   
“I didn’t, they did” she points to he file that contains information about the four fallen gods.   
“How?” now Heejin’s father speaks for the first time.   
“The youngest when she first entered the world. She told us she could hear and feel a clustered sufferings not far away from where she was standing” Haseul explains “We brought her there and she…”   
“Went on a rampage” the judge finished after Haseul had failed to voice the words.   
“That was in the past. She has learned to control it” the leader defends Olivia Hye.   
“So now she doesn’t kill everyone, but some?”   
“She freed the prisoners.”  
“She traumatised them.”   
“They were already traumatised.”   
“Then why her attacking, is the only thing they can recall?”  
“Their brains were shut down, so its obvious that it’s the first thing they see when they regained control.”

It went like that for a while. Until she had almost lost, but surprisingly won everyone the judge had found a hole between her words.   
“If she goes out of control and I don’t care for what reason, she is sent to lock down” Haseul couldn’t argue with that. She only nodded. “That is all” she stands up first then walks to out of the door followed by Hyunjin and Heejin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The drifters are the runaways from Eden that the royals think it’s their promised paradise. They are to be judged whether to be granted citizenship with the royals or used for other purposes.


	4. Powerless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to the present. I don’t think I will write about the past. At least that is not what I planned for the next five chapters. I want to focus on the plot and the main story. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter.

Government hitlist checked. International hitlist also checked. Yeojin searches through the net if any information about the team are created. She is sweeping the net if there are documents for public disclosure. Earth is their anchor. They cannot stay in the other dimensions or other realities for long before drawing attention to themselves. Erath is not that different form the other places, but it is easier to hide and dim their powers among the humans. She is still in the process of introducing herself into her own abilities and powers.

She is born a royal. Her powers as a royal, is yet to bloom. It depends on the person as well. When Hyunjin took her first steps, she could manipulate nature and use it to heal everything around her. The forgers made a necklace for her to store her powers whenever she could not deal with them. It also acted as seal when she was a child.

Heejin on the other hand was sealed from birth. The oracles predicted that she is a seeker. She can control laylines and use them to energize herself to use that black sword of hers. She can create laylines when she destroys others. It only happens during an eclipse.

Yeojin looks away from the giant screen she was examining. Factor, her small self-made robot, places a small hand on her pinkie finger. She teasingly pushes it away and it falls. It adjusts itself and stand up again. Blue led eyes blink and it tilts its head awaiting a command. She places the small ball In front of it. The grey little robot uses the magnet that is configurated into its arm to pull the ball. It goes back into its station and powers off.

She runs her fingers around her temples gently and closes her eyes. She cannot pinpoint what her powers really are, her photographic memories do not count. She has control over objects, but so can Heejin and Hyunjin. It was a necessary training when their mana was unsealed. They also learned how to control some elements. Like turning water into ice or igniting fire from intensifying the mana around them. She used to have a hard time igniting fire, set an entire forest aflame on her first try, but now she can light a small piece of paper without damaging the surroundings.

The youngest royal leaves her chair and dims the light of the room. She locks the control unit and sets it on autopilot mode. She retreats to her bed and lays on top of it. Yeojin sighs and closes her eyes. She inhales softly to feel if there is enough mana around her. There is not enough in the atmosphere. Heejin is a vacuum when it comes to collecting mana. They don’t really use it. Yeojin uses it whenever she wants to concentrate on one of her inventions. The descendants don’t use it, they are what they call themselves ‘the source of creation’ part of the new gods. They defected and were exiled or just like Hyejoo puts it ‘we were bored so we ran away.’

Her phone vibrates. She sees the text message from Yerim. It reads ‘Heads up.’ With that in mind, Yeojin climbs on her bed and waits for the jumper to appear. A purple lightning appears about of the nowhere. The mana intensifies around the area in the middle of her room. In the flash of light Yeojin had to cover her eyes and after seconds, Yerim appears.   
“Jinie,” she says, smile from eye to eye as she slums herself on the chair Yeojin was occupying not minutes ago. “I’m exhausted” she says taking in shallow breaths.  
“Where were you? And why are you here?” Yeojin hugs her pillow and rests her back against the wall that her bed is shoved against.   
“What do you mean?” am I not allowed here anymore?” she questions with a smile and a giggle.

All of the sudden, a more subtle mana formation intensifies in the same area where Yerim had popped out of. “Choi Yerim” Jinsoul came through and the purple-haired jumper rand towards Yeojin and hid behind her.   
“Please, tell her I cannot travel anymore” she whined and kept shooing Jinsoul away. Jinsoul left eye lost its blue colour and she settles down on Yeojin’s chair.   
“I don’t want to be in the middle of this” Yeojin states. She is really not in the mood to argue with the most two talkative people in her team.   
“You need to work on your distance. We haven’t even visited warded areas yet” Jinsoul seems determent and the girl whines again. She stands up and looks Yeojin’s way.

“Did you find anything?” she asks. Yeojin had told her she will be scanning the net for information about their resent and sudden teleportation to the Other. That place is the mirror image to this world. It is abandoned by people, only nightmares and horrors occupy it. It’s the place where dreams crush and turn into their worst version. A place that she was forbid from entering. The only way for her to go, is by asking Jinsoul or Yerim. They were both ordered by Jungeun to not bring her there no matter what. She is also the only one who cannot be teleported there. Jungeun had ordered Heejin to cut her tie with the team.   
“No, I’m still searching” she hears Jinsoul hum in response. The odd eye girls were the only friends she had. Even though she was with Heejin and Hyunjin during the training period, she never got close to the two. Jungeun was more of a second mother to her than anyone. She took well care of her. Including the yelling, scolding, but also the soft compliments and reassuring smiles. Jinsoul and Yerim loved playing around and she often went with the two when they travel. With them, Yeojin visited many different worlds. She hated many and enjoyed more.

“Did you hear from Sooyoung?” Jinsoul asks.  
“No, I heard that she went to visit Jiwoo” Yeojin did use honorifics with them before. They told her to drop them when they didn’t understand what it means and it didn’t matter.   
“She will call you soon. First, come help me understand the case they were investigating” Jinsoul stands up from her chair and Yeojin slides out of her bed. Well, seems that there is no sleep for her.   
“What do you want to know?” she unlocks her system with her password and opens the folder where the case files were saved.   
“Everything, but quick before Jungeun shows up” Jinsoul leans against the desk and sends her a soft smile.  
“They first were looking for a lead that connects all the kidnappings” Yeojin opens the file that Yves and Chuu had established “They found out that all the girls have attended the same festival” she shows pictures of all the murdered girls.   
“They all have different school uniforms” Yerim states. Yeojin nods.   
“They also asked around if the girls have ever met each other and nothing on that. So, Yves and Chuu collected information about all the attendants.”  
“How did they do that?” Yerim asks again and Yeojin lifts her head and sends her a smug smile. Yerim rolls her eyes. The search took a long time.  
“I couldn’t find everybody, but used the cc-tv cams to lower the search to only people who had interacted with them” she scrolls down the document showing them the empty section where the witness statements should be written.   
“So they found nothing” this time Jinsoul says and she sighs. Yeojin nods in agreement.   
“What now?” she looks at Jinsoul who seems to be thinking really hard.

Yeojin’s phone ring. She looks at the caller and finds that Yves is the one calling. She looks at Jinsoul.  
“Answer and tell her to hold” she nods and answers the phone.  
“let me finish with Jinsoul and I’m yours” Yeojin looks at Jinsoul.   
“Alright, tell Jinsoul I want to talk with her as well, can you connect us with her as well?” Yves requests from the other side of the call.  
“Sure can” Yeojin places the call on hold.  
“Any word of this to Jungeun and you are banned from using your powers” her words directed at the purple-haired girl who fakes a shook “Also, don’t say a word. Observe” she tells Yerim, who frowns and nods. Jinsoul was teaching something that Yeojin had experienced when she was with either Jungeun or Haseul.

She salutes. “My mouth is sealed” she say. Yeojin narrows her eyes.   
“We’re doomed” she shakes her head and losses hope in whatever Jinsoul is cooking. Jinsoul gives her a sign after she had came to a conclusion. Yeojin reconnects the call.  
“Sooyoung” Jinsoul leans against the table and crosses her arms as she eyes the ground “It better be something good” if Yeojin didn’t know Jinsoul and her playful and laidback attitude then she might be scarier than Jungeun. Yeojin might run away if she to see her this serious, but Jinsoul never practices her hostility towards the team. Jungeun and Yves might do that sometimes, but they are captions. Their responsibility is to keep their units under control if they have to use force.

“Someone is pretending to be me” their faces form that expression of confusion. Yeojin views the reports that were brought by Yves for the last weeks. “They are copying my movements for a while now. I don’t know when it started” To her, some didn’t look the same as the others. She put the two reports side by side and searches for a sign. The hand writings are different. This confusion is the scattering of thoughts.   
“How do we know you are the real Yves?” Jinsoul is the only one to talk. Yeojin records the call like she usually does. At first she did it to study the team, then she created a command that records the call automatically. She might cross reference this call with the previous ones she received from Yves.   
“Get me out of speaker” Yves say. Jinsoul nods to Yeojin who hands her the phone. She silently points towards the recorder, asking her to stop recording. After a minute or so, Jinsoul smiles. Yeojin felt the relief fall into the room. The atmosphere lights up and Jinsoul places the phone back on the table. Yeojin presses record and puts the call on speaker again.

“How can we help?”

“Make sure you scan me before talking to me and prepare that inhibitor thingy when I come back” she instructs. This sounds like a very normal chaotic Yves. it was business in a terrible way. If Jungeun was here, she would have filled the many holes in her plan.   
“Sure, what are going to do now?”   
“I am going to find out what I was doing in the city before I was kidnapped” Yves was looking for any clue that anyone left behind after the festival. It was a good month ago, but she thought that she might find something that the mortals skipped. She and Jiwoo did have a good sense details and Yeojin enjoys helping the two with their new found hobby.   
“Okay, Yeojin can help you. I have to go.”  
“Jinsoul,” came her voice immediately after Jinsoul had finished. Sooyoung didn’t wait for a response “Don’t tell her too much, for now. We will talk once I’m done here” Jungeun? Jinsoul nods to herself.   
“Sure, anything else?”   
“No, and thanks” Jinsoul reaches for the phone screen and presses the red icon to end the call.

She asks for Yerim hands and the girl happily hops to where Jinsoul is standing now. Her happiness always multiply whenever she is with Jinsoul or Jungeun. She likes to annoy Hyejoo and act cute around Chaewon. She is happy around the people she first met, people who accepted her first, that have what she has.

Yerim said that she is from a parallel earth. A place where no technology like theirs. No royals, no awakened no demigods or gods. There were just simple humans that never understood what she is. Her parents calling a devil’s child. Casting her out of her own home, sent to a mental hospital for the majority of her childhood. She was saved by Jinsoul and Jungeun who were just traveling before they met Haseul. They taught her everything about herself. About her real self.

They disappear after bidding her a good night. She goes back to her work, forgetting about sleep. Yeojin was trying to think where to start.

A minute passes.

A feeling. Distant, dark, thick and disgusting. The fog comes as softest white to embrace all, to make it a cocoon until the heat takes over her being. What’s going on?

She turns around and finds the entire room, half of it is her room and the other is a grey colourless forest. It was inviting her. She stands up and when she does her heart becomes heavy like it wants to stop beating. She needs to snap out of it. Yeojin runs to the other side of the room and reaches the door. She looks one more time, the dead trees and the white grass. A fog that thickens by the second. She storms out her room. She runs out of the basement into the main hall of the building.

“Yeojin” she turns around. Its Viian.   
“Hi,” she breathes in out heavily. Her lungs trying to catch op on missing oxygen.  
“What’s going on?” she grabs her by her wrist and leads her to the basement, to her room  
“Come see this” she tells her as they arrive to the door. She opens it.

A familiar scene is painted in front of her. Her room. The same as she had always found it. Her bed, the poster of the football team she likes to cheer for. The awards she got when she won a convention. The medals she received when she was in the royal academy. Everything was there.   
“See what?” Viian’s voice drags her out of this dream like occurrence.   
“There…was…I swear there was…something here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, well, the fog thickens. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and until the next chapter.


	5. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t like dragging around in a story I write. I would not call it slow burn, but it has been like that for ages. I will try to minimize the POV jumping. Until I have to view it from some other perspective, because it’s fun that way.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter

The brief touch to Jungeun arm startled her. A rare occasion. Jinsoul smiles to reassure the question in her eyes.   
“You know you can just normally announce your presence, right?” her voice is soft. Her eyes locked on the big screen In front of her. Jinsoul didn’t give it that much attention when she saw that teasing the caption would be much more interesting.  
“That’s boring” she says, her eyes reading through the report on display. It's about that missing case Sooyoung and Jiwoo were investigating. The last body was found in a trash container outside of the city under a bridge. The file now marked as a homicide. The duo invested a lot of time and effort to find that girl. If they had enough time, they could have found a lead. The attack dragged them to another dimension. The time difference there was thankfully not that much. Missing a day is better than missing an entire year or even a decade. If they used the earthling's standards to track their own ages, they are more than old. Jinsoul could call herself ancient with these many years she had skipped.

“Why are you here?” she switches her attention to Jungeun “I thought you sneaked out with the others as well” Heejin, Yerim, Hyejoo and Chaewon sneaked past security to eat in a restaurant. They almost succeeded in dragging her along with them, but she resisted and had to decline.  
“And leave you alone?” Jungeun eyed her from the side with a questioning smile.  
“Since when do you wait for me?” Jinsoul leaned against the desk and crossed her arms. She looked up the ceiling and had to think about how to tell her and how to convince the caption not to dig into what is wrong between Sooyoung and Jiwoo.  
“I came to answer your questions” she said, her mind still blocked. She could feel Jungeun trying to read her thoughts. She can read her thought, but not the one related to Sooyoung and Jiwoo.  
“What do you want in return?” Jinsoul is aware of the fact that Jungeun doesn’t trust her for one bit when it comes to making a deal. It gets on her nerves and Jinsoul enjoys every second of it.  
“Your cooperation of course” Jungeun doesn’t buy it for a second. Jinsoul knows that.

They have spent so much time together that a look could expose all of her to Jungeun. It’s the reason why she is avoiding her eyes right now. One wrong look and Jungeun could read her like an open book.  
“Spill” her agreement. She went to sit on the chair around the small table. Jungeun follows her. She pushes herself up and sits on top of the table crossing her legs.  
“I want you to ask. I cannot tell you everything, but I don’t know how to start” she softens her tensed self when fingers brush against her own. Jungeun is allergic to the touch and she observed that. She never reached for her when others, except for Yerim, were around them. It took her years to understand that about Jungeun. She never exposed her weaknesses in front of anyone.  
“Where were you this morning?” her voice is soft. She know how to start, Jungeun always knew how to ease her into a confession she was not ready to recite.  
“Babysitting Yerim,” she starts thoughts aligned she felt comfort as their fingers laced. And she watches with a lazy smile “she ran to Yeojin’s and we kind of got side tracked” she hears a hum. Her hand was completely secured into Jungeun’s.

She looks up. She was lost in a colourless world that was rarely highlighted with red. The red didn’t bother her. It brought out the silence that filled each ticking minute. Jinsoul was looking for a way to stay there. She rarely felt the need to escape once she had found her eyes.

“So, she contacted you” Jinsoul nods. “Why is she avoiding me?” she shrugs, still looking at the anger that splashes more red into that grey world. “Stop smiling like that” she stood up to face her.  
“She is looking for someone. They attacked Jiwoo and she is afraid that if she to come over again, it will expose you to a danger that she doesn’t understand” her words flew out coherently, thank god. She watches Jungeun never breaking eye contact with her. If Jinsoul to stand this close to her when they first met, Jungeun would have looked everywhere but her. She would have pushed Jinsoul back, telling to not step any closer, threaten to attack her if she to startle her again.

Jinsoul never approached her to this proximity when they first met. She was careful, treating her like an expansive vase, afraid if she to touch it, it would crack.  
“So she is being stubborn again” Jinsoul nods and pulls Jungeun from the table. She stands up “Let’s go home.”

* * *

She watches her back. A sight that she for many long years was accustomed to. No matter the situation, the occasion or the danger. Jinsoul’s back was always in front of her. It was far at first. Jungeun never knew when she let herself get closer to it. Their hands were holding into each other. Jinsoul is pulling and she lets herself relax into her rhythm. She never felt the need to let go unless Jinsoul removes herself whenever a third party joins them. Yerim was an exception. Jinsoul lingers for a lot longer during their missions.

“Jinsoul, Jungeun” a loud deep voice that could only belong to the only tiny person in the building.  
“Yeojin,” gone, disconnected and a warmth is the only trail it leaves behind.

She wasn’t focusing on the conversation “Oh no,” her mind was trying to find a way to Yunhee’s words. Bound by destiny. She never understood what her mother had told her. Yunhee was angry when she pointed her gaze to the outsider. She called Jinsoul an outsider. Which never made sense to Jungeun. Yunhee welcomed the descendants with open arms when she and Jinsoul brought them there to hide their presence. She would never speak to Jinsoul directly. When she addresses her, the cold one, the stranger, your accomplice and many more names.

“Jungeun” it gets her out of her confused bubble. She looks up at Jinsoul and asks a wordless question. “Look at this” she takes the paper from her hand and reads the contents. Jungeun sees three pictures. Hers is first. Name, age, information about her appearance and even more information about her abilities. The same thing for Yerim and Jinsoul.  
“What is this?” she asks. If the paper is written by Yeojin, then most of the information are not correct or not accurate. Like the part where in their ages is says unknown for the three of them. Birthplace is the same. Their abilities were not that accurately described. 

“The three of you are under surveillance” Yoejin answers. She looks sad and confused. Jungeun reads more. The watchlist is originated from the royal database. She has no idea what that means. Since when is there a database for royals? She is not a royal, not that she knows. Neither is Jinsoul. Yerim is the only one born a royal was granted the same abilities as herself and Jinsoul.  
“They are building a database to track all the awakened” Jinsoul runs her hand through her hair.  
“Okay, keep a look out for any new information. If anything pops up, there is someone watching us” Yeojin nods and sends her a weak smile. Jungeun places her palm on the girl’s head and runs it down to her cheek “Good work” she throws hope into her touch and the girl is filled with it.

“I will stay in touch for more updates” the youngest member of the team leaves them.

Jinsoul stares at her with shit-eating grin. Jungeun knows her partner’s rotten ideas. She shoves her and laughs at the way she stumbles. A hand takes hers.

Again, she finds herself staring at her back.

* * *

Next week is Yeojin’s ceremony. They have not forgotten about it. There is so much happening that she thought it was imposable for them to forget about it. Yves enters the dorm. They are split into four groups. The rotation is every first of a third month. Its Heejin’s turn to split them into groups. Yves looks at the group chat. Shit, she curses under her breath before she enters the elevator. She chooses the forth floor and the doors slide shut.

Jungeun, Jinsoul, Yves are in one apartment. Heejin, Chuu, Vivi, Gowon in the second apartment. Which leaves Olivia Hye, Hyunjin and Yerim to the third apartment. Yves wishes that she had just went to Yeojin’s place. Leave it to Heejin to ruin everything. To the swordswoman, it was a game she enjoyed. With her stupid wide smile she would come to her teasingly asking her ‘Do you like it?’  
She also doesn’t like how Heejin calls Yves, Jungeun and Jinsoul the ancient ones. The two would take much offence into Heejin’s words. Yves just didn’t like to be the one responsible for Olivia Hye’s damage. 

Upon slowly opening the door, she find the devil. Anger was on full display. Yves smiles sweetly knowing it has zero effect on her fellow team member.   
“Look what the cat dragged in” Jungeun repeatedly taps a finger on her bicep. Arms crossed, she leans against the back of the sofa.  
“For how long were you standing there?” she takes off her shoes. And slides out of her coat and hangs it.   
“I felt you near, thought you were going to Yeojin’s place” Jungeun would have dragged Jinsoul and brought her back to their apartment. Yves goes to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of water. Jungeun followed her.  
“Hey Sooyoung” out of nowhere came Jinsoul.  
“Fuck,” startled, she almost clung to the ceiling “enter the room like a normal mortal for once” she smacks her exposed arm and the blonde with the worst lemon shorts and a horrible tank top chuckles pushing her away from the refrigerator she was leaning against.  
“Where were you?” Yves sees Jinsoul’s mouth pokes out forming the letter O. She fights the urge to roll her eyes and instead opts for pushing the water bottle, almost spilling all it contains on Jinsoul’s face.  
“I will teleport you to a volcano” Jinsoul threatens as she wipes the spilled water around her mouth. She hops on the island kitchen and motions for Jungeun to join her. If Jungeun was fire, then Yves loves using Jinsoul to put out the flame. She seems to cool down when she made it next to Jinsoul.

“I was looking for the imposter” she says.  
Yves had spoken to Jinsoul about the one impersonating her. She could not find a trace behind. She had went back to the centre of the city where she was, before she was pulled to the Other. That world must really hate them. It always finds a way to drag them back to save it from whatever that is attacking it.  
“What did you find?” Jinsoul is the one to speak. Yves looks at the space between the two. Not too far, not too close. She sees their colours interwinding with one another. It is not mana that flows between them. Its something else Yves has seen before.

All she can say about it, beautiful. They remind her of the way she witnessed the creation of her friends. The same energy that was used to separate them from one another. Is that reason they were the only ones who could enter the garden without tainting it? Haseul entered first, but she tainted it and the passage almost closed. When she was almost trapped, Yerim had jumped in and got her out. Her entrance gave the passage a glow. Jinsoul was the second to enter and the glow only grew. Jungeun had joined them and told them to wait until they could find Olivia Hye.

“Nothing” she shrugs. “I thought I could find out how they know me. I really don’t know what to do” she shakes her head and the captain left her seat.  
“It’s called defeat” she was pulled in a hug. “What you feel right now is called comfort” warmth was everywhere Jungeun was touching her. “You need to be careful” she looks at the shorter girl. She doesn’t feel short to Yves at all. She was looking down at her, but also she felt she was looking up at her. Is that what this makes her feel?  
“It can also be a weakness” Jinsoul finishes from her place and Jungeun nods to her other half’s statements.  
“Weakness is vulnerability” she remembers Haseul’s words as well. Without her knowledge, a tear drops down her cheek. She looks in question between the two. What is this?  
“Yearning” Jinsoul tilts her head to the side. She smiles softly at her. They were teaching her the mundane emotions. They had told her she was the only one to display them the most. Chuu was part of her so she felt that along with Yves. She just finds out that she had always shared an apartment with either Jinsoul, Jungeun or Haseul. Thy were the most approachable, they are the ones that approached her the most. Jungeun is a fire that burns, but she is also a fire that comforts when they need it. they are afraid to piss her off, but also never hide anything from her.

She wipes her tear and finds Jungeun smiling at her. “Keep smiling like that and will be tricked again” it spreads on her face as her pale features turns all shades of red. “Anyways,” she pulls from the captain and leans against the refrigerator “Who is going to Yeojin’s ceremony?”

She had attended Heejin’s and Hyunjin’s adult ceremony. It’s a custom between the royals. During their ceremony, Heejin revealed all her abilities and displayed her skills using that beautiful black sword she created. Hyunjin is a healer. She also has a sword, but never showed it. She never fought with it. Yves asked why she never uses it and Hyunjin had said that is was not meant to hurt people. Yves didn’t understand. A sword is a weapon, Heejin uses it the way it is intended.

They have also not seen Yeojin use any other abilities that manipulating mana. All royals can do that. They use elements and objects to display their powers. Yeojin also has a talent to control objects and create ‘advanced tech’ is how she calls it.

“Everyone except for us” Jinsoul had answered. Jungeun’s head fell on her shoulder. Cute.  
“Why?”  
“We have something else to do” Jinsoul’s eyes fall on the one who was still resting her head on her shoulder. Jungeun never shows affection towards Jinsoul when there is a third person present. She sees them sometimes huddled into each other while sitting on the sofa. She catches a glimpse of it before they separate.  
“Which puts me in charge” she sighs. Ordering the chaos that is the team, is a chaos she never managed to lead. She rather be part of the fun then to ruin it. Rather leave the nagging to miss soft over there.  
“Before I forget” Jinsoul had removed Jungeun’s head away and landed on the floor. Jungeun frowns as if someone woke her from a good night sleep.

Jinsoul went somewhere and she sat on the spot Jinsoul occupied a second ago. She smiles to the half asleep girl who seems to not mind that she is the one to lean on now. Jungeun rests her head on Yves’ shoulder. That warmth from before came back, along with Jinsoul.

“Here, put it on” it’s a wrist band. Silver with a dark red jewel at the front. It’s one of Yeojin’s inventions. They use it sometimes when they spy around the royals and not want to be detected by watchers. She takes it from Jinsoul and secures it around her wrist.

* * *

“Come on, please” the tiny thing whines. Hyunjin was not in the mood for this. She was ready to leave if not for Hyejoo’s intervention. The wolf was laying on the sofa, head resting on her palm and faces them sideways.  
“I really cannot find anything” if Yeojin is here, then she must have told Jungeun. If Jungeun finds out that Yeojin is here, it will be her head. She knows that the first to abandon her is that lazy wolf on the sofa, eating her snacks. Where did she find it?  
“Scan her” Hyejoo speaks for the first time. Hyunjin sighs for the millionth time since she for the fifth time read Yeojin’s dreams.  
“She is not a machine and I am not an odd eye” Hyunjin answers, annoyed by the entire meaning to this request. Yeojin was dreaming something she cannot find anywhere. There is no origin for what she described inside of her head. A dead forest with white grass.  
“We haven’t travelled to such place before” Yerim teleports near her.  
“No jumping inside of the apartment.”  
“But Jinsoul always jumps” Yerim murmurs to herself, but Hyunjin hears everything. She went to sit on top of an angry wolf. She groans and moves herself from under the laughing girl. She tickles her and Yerim jumps out of her grasp.  
“Please, I swear I am not making it up” Yeojin looks like a miserable kid.  
“What’s going on?” Heejin enters the apartment uninvited. Great, now she has to deal with the three musketeers ruining her rest. Heejin’s presence is like adding fire to the already burring mess over there.

Hyunjin sighs and places her hand on Yeojin’s forehead. She hears laughter again. “Heejin” she calls and the bunny almost immediately, innocently shows next to her.  
“What?” she sits next to her and Yeojin goes to her lab.  
“She doesn’t believe me” Heejin softly hums to the girl and locks eyes with her. Hyunjin shrugs.  
“You try, Hyejoo and I found nothing wrong with her.”  
“What’s wrong?” Heejin strokes her hair and Yeojin lifts her head from Heejin’s lab.  
“I was in my room” she starts “then I felt something approaching me form all sides. I felt disoriented” she looks down really concerned. Hyunjin felt bad for ignoring her. The two morons playing with each other make it hard to focus. “Then I saw it. Dead trees and white grass everywhere” her hands fold around each other. Heejin nods to every word she say.  
“Where did you go after that?”  
“I ran away, because it was calling me to enter. I ran and found Vivi” Viian did say Yeojin came to her, but not like that “When I showed her the room, she was not there. I got really scared then I called Yerim to pick me up.”  
“True” Yerim calls as she tries to run away from the wolf chasing her. Hyunjin tries to ignore the two. She was mostly amazed at the fact that Yerim was taming a pet. Telling Olivia to sit and ask her for a hand is a death sentence. Yerim does these things and Olivia Hye with all her might and destructive powers, sits and give her hand. Amazing.  
“But you never woke up” Heejin concludes “It wasn’t a dream, you had a vision” she explains “It might be someone asking for help, or anything. To be honest it really could be anything.”  
“It scares me” she looks down defeated. Hyunjin reaches for her cheek and sends a warm energy that can calm her down and makes her feel at ease.  
“We will help. You can stay here and will talk to Jungeun.”  
“You’re brave.”  
“Yerim is with me, its like hers and Jinsoul’s one and only weakness.”  
“That’s black mail.”  
“You just called me brave.”

Hyunjin hopes Heejin’s guess is on point. Even if it’s not on point, Yeojin had calmed down for now. That leaves them with a plan to convince the devil about ‘Why the hell is Yeojin here?’ the plan involves Yerim talking, which was a solid start, but if Yerim stutters or acts suspicious, it will be Hyunjin’s head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and until the next update


	6. Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry if anyone was waiting for an update. I lost like 7 chapters I wrote. The files were corrupted and i did everything in my power to retrieve them, but failed. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter.

It was normal. Just their thoughts that mingled between them. Until her temptation became a disease that infected every part and Chuu cannot find an antidote. She felt horrible. She was lied to, used and manipulated. It was non other than that same Faith. The same Faith that closed her eyes to her purpose and followed an endless path that would lead her to be reborn again.

She loved that inquisitive aspect of Faith. It tainted Chuu’s heart with love. A feeling that was exploited. She always followed and mimicked. A never ending repetitive machine she was trapped in. feel something, experience it, practice it, got bored and moved to the next new thing.

The garden was a home to their innocence. They were taught to not behave defiantly form their surroundings. Chuu called upon her powers and explored them. Creation after creation after creation. Up until Faith planted a seed in her heart that grew to damage her. It was amazing, a feeling was prohibited. All she could find was that smile that drove her to care for that seed inside of her heart.

She learned how to keep a secret. Faith taught her how to hide her presence. To be there, but a mere shadow that has no purpose. 

“Chuu” ever since their departure, she never heard Yves use that name after they were granted new names. Is it that easy to forget something so simple? Chuu saw her experience every emotion and how she mastered it “How have you been?” she cannot even stand to hear her voice, let alone look her in the face.

In the end, being a shadow never hid them that well. Exposed and striped from their rights and powers. All she had left is what she was born with. Faith suffered the same punishment.

“You lied to me” her other half, which Chuu cannot even feel, is not even bothered to move or do anything. So different. Is that what those the side effects of the mundane feeling? The same feelings that constantly drains their energy?

“What are you talking about?” a laugh, Disgusting. It sounds like Chuu will throw up any second now.

“I feel so used right now, Yves” she massages her temples. Her eyes closed, still facing away from Faith.

Jiwoo had left the hospital and went straight to Yeojin’s room. She couldn’t find the little genius so she decided to gather information about the attack. There, she scanned the CC-TV cams around their building. Chuu thought she will be able to recall a memory if she saw something she missed out on.

To her horror, Chuu found herself in conversation with Yves. A conversation that soon turned into an argument. To something she has never done with her partner. They never argued, they never talked to each other in that way. How can she forget about this?

She saw the corridor was filled with her restless pacing’s. Anger was visible in her movements that time. They argued nonstop. Sooyoung did something that seems to upset her. Jiwoo cannot remember. She found herself pinned against a wall as her so called half self was forcing herself on her. Jiwoo remembers nothing of what she saw. She was screaming, asking for help, but the one holding her, was slamming her against the wall and she screamed more for help. Give in.  
“Babe,” she shivers to whoever this is, they are not Sooyoung. They are not her other half “I missed you” a hand rest on her back. She backs away.  
“Get out” she pushes Yves out of her site. She pushes her to the door.  
“Chuu, let me explain” her names sounds so wrong coming out of that mouth. It used to sound so beautiful when she chants her names like a melody, an addictive tone and it rings so wonderfully in her head.  
“Out. Get. Out” she rips her heart out of her own chest. She takes out all of her courage and uses it to drive out the one thing that kept heart alive all this time.

She dials a number. Yerim picks the call.  
“Come to my location, now.”

As soon as Jiwoo pressed the red icon, Yerim appeared.

“What’s wrong?” she was a mess. Her tears blocked her eyes and she wipes them away. Her vision blurry and she wants to rid herself of this terrible feeling. Jiwoo has no idea how mortals deal with it. It is so opposite to the happy feeling. She fails to suppress that feeling. How can they be so similar yet feel so different from each other?  
“Take me to Yunhee” the one holding her sends a warmth onto her being. She accepts the gift even if it was not intended. She takes it all and thanks her savoir for coming to her rescue.

A blank moment. Nothingness, then a gust of cold wind brushes against her skin. She opens her eyes and finds herself in a valley that was so green, it almost reminded her of home.

“This is as far as I can go. Are you okay now?” the girl wipes Jiwoo’s tears and cups her cheeks. She nods and sighs as she relaxes even more after smelling the fresh air around them. Nothing rotten, no perfumes, no addictive scents and no familiar feeling that puts her at ease, then shakes her head the next moment and she has to keep up with what’s around her.  
“Its fine, I just need some time alone. Don’t tell unless they ask you” Yerim nods and smiles her way.  
“If you need a ride back, just call me, but you have to be outside over here for me to pick you up. I cannot enter. Its warded” she instructs and give an explanation of what to do. Yerim steps back away from Jiwoo. “I have practice with Jinsoul, so do call if you are ready” she waves and disappears into thin air.

* * *

When Yeojin had contacted her about the murder cases that Sooyoung and Jiwoo were investigating, Heejin never thought they will be taking over. They, is herself and a missing wolf. Now she looks over a high apartment building trying to find her missing partner. Heejin looks over to every part of the vicinity before jumping to the next building. She searches with bright pink eyes and sniffs her surroundings. She always catches her scent first, then a glimpse of the beast.

  
In the night, the city streets become arteries of light. The so called ‘normal people’ go on and about their daily lives. A clock that ticks their lives closer to their end. Unaware of the type of wold they live in. Awakened with abilities that destroy or build them. They are either hero’s or monsters, no in between. Magic can be more harmful than the good it does. The most rare beings are demigods, which Heejin has never ever met in all her life. Not even the Odd eye girls have met a demigod, or so they say. The second most rarest are the mages. They are born with the power to create. Heejin created her sword, it was there by her side when she wanted to fight. It was always there hovering, even when she never asked for it. Hyunjin created a tree that responds only to her touch. A tree she feeds life into. A tree that deifies the law that is set by the ruler. She hid it away with the help of the Odd eyes girls. They teleported it to a world where no one can enter.  
The third and last most rare beings, are the royals. Immortals that can only die if fought against each other. The most greedy, narcissistic of the three.

Heejin leaps from the second building and lands on another. It takes her a minute to catch the wolf’s scent. It settles in a part of her lungs that makes her breathe heavily. In time, she learned to lower her senses whenever she was near the wolf. Heejin now wants to find Olivia Hye as soon as possible and end this hide and seek game. It wasn’t a game for the wolf. It was her, getting away from everything and wanting to find more about this world.

Heejin and Jinsoul were the only ones to locate her. Heejin can locate her by her unique smell that differs from the other three fallen gods. Jinsoul can locate Olivia Hye because she touched her. Jinsoul also explained that she must have visited the world before anchoring herself to her destination. Heejin makes a mental note to spend some time with Yerim and Jinsoul.

Heejin finds the wolf. She was standing by two figures. Heejin leaps again and silently lands to stand behind her. The two are not normal. They are awakened. One of them had red eyes and long canines dripping blood. It stains his mouth and neck. The other is half dazed, probably drugged, is held by his neck with an iron grip that threatens to snap it.

“Leave, before you’re next” he licks his lips. The think it, a handful of awakened know the existence of royals. A handful of royals know the exitance of the descendants. The night creature has no idea what’s coming for him. Heejin wants to step in and end whatever Olivia Hye is trying to prove, but she also wants to see it.  
“How about you leave before I brake you” Oliva Hye growls emphasising her statement with a voice that came deep from within the beast. Heejin swallows, she eyes the wolf’s back waiting, anticipating her actions and decisions.

“Do you Kno-” it happened so fast, Heejin almost missed it. The beast was in her place over near Heejin then she was in front of the awakened grapping his face with a hand. She pushed him down to his knees.   
“Release him” from up there, she looks down at him and he released his hold. The unconscious young man dropped to the ground.

Heejin thinking she has had enough. She walks to where the beast is terrorizing the mind of the night creature. She places a hand on her shoulder. Heejin met obsidian eyes. There was no definition, just blackness overpowering, spreading everywhere. The beast drops the creature’s face and he disappears into the darkness of the night. reforming, the blackness in her eyes constructed into pupils revealing the usual sclera and a grey iris.

“How did you find me?” her voice is normal too. She kneels next to the still unconscious man. She places her palm on the wound.

When Sooyoung heals, she glows. The same with Jiwoo and Chaewon. Hyejoo on the other hand, is different from the three. There is nothing that indicates that she is healing the man right now. 

“The usual” Heejin waits for her to finish. Hyejoo stands up and stares her in her eyes. “Something came up, You and I are partners now” she smiles and she didn’t expect a smile back, she expected a frown, a displeasure in the sudden change of assignments. Jungeun wants to build a certain trust between the team and the royals.  
“What are we doing?” her eyes are as intense as usual. Heejin’s curiosity gets the best of her. She is not just interested in her equal, but she also found this a good opportunity to know more about the beast.  
“Following up on Sooyoung’s case” she shows her phone. Hyejoo takes it and scrolls down the information they have collected about the victims.  
“When do we start?” Heejin remembers after Hyejoo had returned her phone.  
“Come to the practice room at eight, don’t be late” she hands over Hyejoo’s phone. “Don’t forget it next time, I might want to contact you.” The beast walks past her when she didn’t have anything more to say to her. Heejin just hopes that Hyejoo will be there and on time too.

Jungeun wanting them to solves this case has some benefits on its own. She contacted the detective that is in charge of the case, offering help. The detective who seemed very busy solving other awakened problems, was pleased. The royal handed over the file and Jungeun gave it to Sooyoung and Jiwoo. Their team work is the best and Jiwoo is an ace when it comes to solving the not-so-mundane-homicides.

Heejin was happy to take over until whatever is going on between Jiwoo and Sooyoung to flow back to normal. Heejin came to understand that they are inseparable. Her creation, how Jiwoo explained it, was a part of Sooyoung that never existed. A being to fill her with that she lacked. Heejin could only refer to it as them being tied by the strings of fate, the stings of destiny that will interwind them together for their entire lives.

* * *

Up the mountain, the mansion of Jungeun’s parents looms from where she is standing. Great wings spreading up the sky above her. The figure descends upon hovering directly above her. His long blonde hair settles on his back when he finally lands.  
“Jiwoo, long time no see” Joonwoo greats her. The mage channels a spell that discharge his wings.  
“Is this a good time?” she looks up at the mansion. The young boy that guides visitors to the mountains is not here.  
“You came alone? Where is Jungeun?” he looks everywhere. The brother displays his concern when he doesn’t see his sister.  
“She is busy, I wanted to talk to mother Yunhee” he hums in question. She doesn’t let it show. There is no need for anyone else to know of this.

Joonwoo is the exact opposite to Jungeun. They are siblings, but he is much less domineering than the traveler and much more embolden with his principles. They share the same ideas, but the way they practice them is extremely discordant. 

He walks with her to the mountain. To where the mansion is established. He didn’t say anything. They shared the silence during their ten minute walk. Before they enter the private grounds, just at the gates, he turns to her.

“I hope you find your answers, Jiwoo” he channels his spell, a magical white circle appears on his back, then his wings summoned. With a flap that disorients the calm ground under him, he takes flight.  
“I hope so too.”

* * *

Heejin sits in the middle of the practice room. It is as empty as when she was recruited. She spent days here alone meditating. Either Haseul would fill a small space in the room to read a book or its just Heejin with her mind finding possibilities to finish her mental training.

She smells a familiar scent. One that puts her to rest. Her lullaby. Heejin opens her eyes only to feel that someone had rested their back against hers.  
“Am I late?” there is a strange safety in her raspy voice. Hyejoo is as sneaky as ever. She always, silently, nears to jump her. The wolf’s newly developed bad hobby.

When she announced that she was looking for a hobby, Heejin thought of only good things. She forgot the mischievous nature of the warm wolf.

Heejin pushes her to stand up. “No, you didn’t miss her” she picks up her sword and stretches her arms to the side “She’s just running late.”

The beast looks displeased at he sudden loss of connection. It creates a thought in her head. Hyejoo is the one that usually pushes her away. Heejin must admit, no matter how hard she tires to hide it, the wolf is as cute as she can get.  
“Why do we have to wait here?” she stands up, reaching for Heejin’s sword. She hands it over.  
“I don’t know, she only said to wait here for her” the blade doesn’t react back to a foreign touch. It will never unsheathe to anyone, but Heejin.  
“Can I have it?” she gently pulls the blade from the scabbard and it pulses with life. The fuller radiates with light with the jewel at the pommel reacting the same way.  
“You cannot, it will disappear once we’re far apart” she tested that many times. It will just reappear, hovering at her side.

“Shame, how can I have my own?” at that, Heejin chuckles.

At first, it was just a blurry image. The type that has form, but do detail. She thought she could summon it, but because there where no details, it was hard to grasp. The only way for her to complete the image, was to rid herself of the seal placed on her from birth. It was overwhelming, even though the colour of her mana is pink, she ended up detailing the image with black. It was all foggy and she only could think of specific things that day.

“If you turn, do you feel a connection to something outside of your body?” she takes back her sword. It disappears when she channel her powers down.  
“I feel more connected to my soulmate” she closes her eyes when she opens them, the usually white sclera disappears into a pool of darkness. Heejin sees stars, like a universe all stuffed into her eyes. “She is upstairs now” Hyejoo looks up pointing to the ceiling.  
“How about an object? Do think of an object when you fight?” the wolf closes her eyes. It takes a minute to answer.  
“A knife” she closes her eyes again “I don’t know, I oldy throught of wanting to use a knife once.”  
“When we fought the mages?” Heejin asks, but she knows the answer. Hyejoo nods, but looks confused.  
“How-”  
“-did I know?” The wolf’s gaze is intense. Those eyes never smile, even when her mouth forms it. they see prey and Heejin understands more than anyone what this means. They are not just polar opposites, they are connected to one another in a mysterious way. “I am an oracle, though I cannot see that far in the future” she explains as she smiles her direction. Her face is non responsive. She doesn’t smile back, but that never discouraged Heejin from wanting to know more about her.  
“How-“  
“-far can I see?” she steals the words from her mouth. She senses the irritation, but Heejin keeps smiling at her. It wasn’t a mean smile, a genuine one.

Her father is an oracle and he warned her of the beast. He told her it’s pure evil. the forces of darkness against the forces of light, was his vision. A dream she once had where she was chased by darkness, hands wanting her to join their ranks. One stood out the most, one dark figure had saved her from all the others. When their features became clear due to her own light, she saw those eyes with the placid nature. Heejin wished she could dream it again, feel it again, but it never came.

From that moment, she went to her father, seeking answers and he was pleased to know that she had inherited his powers.

“Want to try?” she extends her hand, palm facing upward. “Let me see” she calmly says with a lazy smile op her lips.  
“How can I project it?” in size, Hyejoo’s hand is way bigger than hers. Its not touching hers, its hovers slightly above hers.  
“You must put that image in your head, try to form the knife then detail it what you want to project it” she instructs, guiding the mana into the only descendant that can use it.  
“But I doesn’t exist” came her response. To her dismay, Heejin was unaware of their tangency. They switch, now Hyejoo with her palm upward and Heejin’s on top. She bites her lip, feeling a tug in the connection. She looks up at her.

Heejin sees the defeat in her obsidian eyes. She lifts her arms and stretches her hand, exposing her palm. Heejin’s hand directly hovering above the worlf’s hand. When her hand moves above the space between them, the strength of Hyejoo’s gravity pulls her towards the collection of mana they both created. “Don’t just collect it. Consume what you don’t use, then create” she slowly says. The mana intensifies at one spot, bursting around them. A layline appears that waves around them. Heejin blinks multiple times as she focuses on the connection they created.

“What will happen if I force you to take it?” she was too focused on keeping the mana collection stabilised, she had not realized that the wolf’s face was hovering so close to her. Again, Heejin stares back at darkness. Like a black hole pulling her in.

She breaks from it and backs away trying to catch her breath. Still unimpressed, unresponsive and she defiantly was not playing around this time. Heejin felt the need to start defending herself. Her opposite tilted her head in question. She caught the shift in stance quicker than Heejin had thought she would. The wolf walked to her, but she did not feel threatened. She could call it a predator trying not to alarm the prey, but she felt a strange safety that made her stand her ground. The strange reassurance in that cold dreadful universe in her eyes, amazed at what is going on.

“What are you doing?” she softly asks as the wolf lowers her head and leans to be at her height level. Heejin lifts her hands to push her away just like she thought she would. She is just places them on her shoulders. Heejin wanted to step back, but still… not threatened at all.  
“Isn’t this what mortals call affection?” Heejin’s brows shoot up slowly. Did she accidently mix her feelings with the mana? No, that was not the case.  
“Am I your test bunny?” Heejin asks and her eyes go wide. The left side of her faint red lips tugged upwards. In Hyejoo’s arrogant triumph, she smirked.

“Hey, guys” Yeojin came inside.

They had already backed away. The small girl was saying something, Heejin had dampened the voice. There is nothing to doubt here, Hyunjin might be clueless to their connection, no she was just unaware of their connection. They never talked about it. Hyunjin never once not encouraged her to start something with someone.

“Heejin?” Hyejoo’s stern voice brings her out of her sanctuary. “Are you still here?” came her question. She only nods.  
“Yeah, how can we help?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part might be confusing. I refer to Chuu as love and Yves is faith. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and until the next update.


	7. results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited the tags of this story to more mature and violent content. The upcoming chapters are going to be more…well, I don’t want to spoil anything.

A breaking point delivers results. A wall that blocks the way weakens her resolve. Anger ignites with anticipation inside of her. Her stomach reverberates, welcoming the darkness of the cave. Anger demands amusement. Olivia Hye waits for the little rabbit to catch up with her.

Heejin leaps from the hill into the valley. They have been following the strange scent that was lingering on the last potential victim. Heejin had suggested that they should visit the autopsy of the last corpses. Olivia Hye peered through the lifeless body and found inhumane elements that remained on the corpse. Sexual assault was present all over the corpse along with the strange scent that now led them to the cave. They both caught the scent the same time.  
“Do you hear that?” Heejin closes her eyes and focuses on the sound emitting from inside the small cave.   
“Let’s find out” she enters first. Heejin right behind her.

It gets on her nerves how the little rabbit is almost unwavering. Some mortals are just too fascinating. She came across night creatures that claim to be immortals, but fade away the moment she punches a hole through them. Olivia Hye cannot hear footfalls. She cannot hear her heartbeats.

The mages are more difficult to deal with. They seal away and surpass even the maggots that call themselves royals. Not all of them are maggots though. Heejin and Hyunjin are an exception. Yoejin is about to mature and they will be able to define her purpose. Kahei used to be a mage before her so called death and the missing leader is a half mage half a royal. The guards on the other hand are on another level.

She cannot face Jungeun in a fight and guarantees coming out if with all limbs still attached. Jinsoul has a much more familiar presence than Olivia Hye would like it to be. Yerim is her friend and she will most definitely kill anyone that harms her. The two jumper are the most annoying and unpredictable. Mostly because Jinsoul is teaching the youngest of the three to be even stronger than herself.   
“This is new” Heejin declares. Upon leaving the maze that is the not so small cave, they come to a clearing.   
“And here I thought this will end quickly.”

Beyond the cave, a mansion resides behind a waterfall. Red and black with trees that conceal it even further from view. It’s pitch black, save for the faint lanterns that hang from the trees that surrounds the mansion. Through the windows comes only darkness. Anger stirs in anticipation inside of her. It seeks excitement and she cannot let it run loose ever again.

It happened once. She had no idea it was there. It took over when she entered this world. It introduced itself through laughter and desperation for release. She made a promise. She promised the leader she will never release it unless she had no choices left. She taught her to have a reason to fight. Without a reason, anger will take over and ruin her image in the eyes of the one person she looks up to.   
“Come on, lets end it” she follows the swordswoman. It displays itself when she calls for it. the sword obeys her command when she wants it near and refuses to ignore it’s master.

They find the potential victim to be the monster itself. Hiding under the depiction of a dead girl. It had taken the form of one that is kidnapped. They find a flayed body on a chair in the middle of a large room. It doesn’t even make them sweat. Heejin disposes of the entity and burns the body after giving it a quick death. She seals the remain back into the tomb. With it, the flayed body it used to anchor itself to reality.

Olivia Hye is perched on one of the trees that overlooks the mansion from afar. Heejin had told her to keep watch if there were more of these skin thieves. The entity was sealed inside back in its tomb. The doors all locked and sealed as well.

They found the remains of a mage that sought the tomb. She searched through their belongings. Inside a bag, she found books and notes that she had collected upon a request from Yeojin. Calling it ‘valuable information’ is just an excuse that they have got used to. Yeojin likes to collect rare materials that dwell in this world. She uses them for future references, which is smart for a tiny person.   
“I t might take me a while” Heejin announces. Olivia Hye just hums her answer and waits from her spot.

This world is not sad. Dissimilar to the one that dragged them not a month ago. Anger verged on, dancing in her brain when it thought it was going to be released again. She control is now. It wanted to be free and wreak havoc. It got to her, but Hope was by her side this time. Hope was in her arms recovering. Hope caught her heart between her soft touch. It brought her back to reality and whispered reassurance into her soul. 

The bells ring once.

Heejin is cleansing and sealing the place. “Why not burn it down?” she says from atop her comfortable position.   
“We will release more than just one chameleon” the notes called these entities chameleons. If harvested correctly, the harvester gains the ability to camouflage itself to any living being it touches.   
“You’re taking too long” she calls again. This time, Heejin halts her slow paced walk around the mansion and sends an annoying smile her way. They are far away from one another, but Heejin can clearly hear and see her.   
“I’m not Hyunjin. I don’t heal, I kill” it doesn’t sound as sad as Olivia Hye had thought it would.   
“Well, hurry up” Heejin just waves her off and continue her slow walk around the mention.

She is drawing a circle. If she misses a point, she must redraw it again. Olivia Hye will really leave her here if she misses a damn spot.

The bells ring again.

She succumbs to the beauty of the melody. It has a calming element that brings to her forget about Anger for now and let the rings of the bells lull her away from the apathy of Heejin’s work.

“Get down from there” Heejin now under the tree looking up at her. Leans down and lands on her feet. Anger is gone. She doesn’t feel her anymore. The bells ring one last time before Heejin calls her handy work and good end to the killing sprees of the chameleons.

Olivia Hye throws the bag around her left shoulder and follows Heejin out of the cave systems. They leave the area and Olivia Hye collapses the entrance, making sure this place is never discovered again by anyone.

The killings were left a mystery, her birth mates found a clue and Heejin only followed the clue. Olivia Hye acted as backup and interfered when necessary. Her presence was actually not needed if she thinks of it properly. Find the last girl that they were looking for. Heejin only followed the tiny one’s instructions and placed the missing pieces where they should belong. Her birth mates are dealing with their emotions again. She muted all the unnecessary moments

They flee away only to yearn and run back to one another again. Faith cannot live without Love even if she ignored it in the past. Her first sin, no matter how much she denies it. No matter how much she refuses to acknowledge the fact that Love is the base of her Faith.

* * *

Yeojin’s unconsciousness took her back to the forest. In the soft light and humid air she tuned the noises like they were an auditory jigsaw puzzles. On each conjuring of her sacred place she felt a frisson of jubilation, the same kind as she felt the first time. It was hand in hand with discouragement, the reason she fled the scene the first time.

Her second time, is her acceptance to the invitation of the mysterious white forest, but this time it feels less intense. The silver leafless trees look like they are drained from life. They are cold to the touch, the aroma went right to her brain.

Then with a steady gaze she'd pick one small place and stare until she had unmasked the camouflage of the creatures hidden in plain sight. Two of them. One so beautifully created and the other is anything but. They stand side by side in a state of equilibrium.

They beckon her to near them. She hears her name.

Never before had she noticed how time is so much like water; that it can pass slowly, a drop at a time, even freeze or rush by in a blink. The absent clock says it’s measured and constant, tick tock, part of an orderly world; the absent clock lies. The past, three days had passed like thousands of camera frames per second shown one at a time.

Again, the use of her name invites her further towards them. In this slow time-bubble, the wordless twin-voices calling her with the same frequency were louder. Coldness was colder and colours were brighter. All the while her insides felt as if there was nothing there, nothing to need feeding, nothing to have need of anything at all.

She walks on the line that divides the twins. They call her to bring them back, to free them. How is she supposed to do that? They call again.

“Yeojin!” loud, it buzzes through in her ears. She sees the surprised and worried face of a warm person. She hurries to Jungeun’s arms and buries herself in the comfort of her hold. “Hey, hey,” a pleasant palm brushes on the back of her head. “It’s okay, it was just a dream” so reassuring Yoejin almost believed her.   
“Unnie, It didn’t feel like it” she held her even tighter and Jungeun only accepted it.   
“What did you see? Can you talk about it?” she wipes her tears and was greeted with a soft smile   
“Take your time” Jinsoul is behind her. A hand caress her back, comforting her out of her horrified state. It didn’t feel like it, but reality was so different from what she felt and saw in that dream.  
“I was inside and saw two figures. They were calling for me.”

Silence. She expected it. It was the same silence that Heejin and Hyunjin had given her when she explained her dream-vision for the first time. The two sat there with her until she had fully recovered.

“I’m sorry. I wish we could help” Jungeun places a small peck on her temple. Jinsoul collects her in a hug and rocks her like a little child in need of a soothing touch.   
“We have to go, Sooyoung will contact you. Make sure you she shows you her wristband first then allow her to enter” Jinsoul instructs with a low voice. Still rocking her, Yeojin wanted to get used to this treatment, like the spoiled little brat she is.   
“Thanks,” she pulls herself away from the softness of her guardians. They soon leave to Yerim’s birth place. As much as she wanted them to stay, Yeojin wants to show them that she is capable of taking care of herself. “I will make sure Sooyoung is under control” she gets to her feet and salutes them both.   
“Well then, enjoy your ceremony” Jinsoul gets up first “We promise to look into this after we return” a big hand ruffles her already messy hair.   
“Take care, Yeojin” Jungeun hooks an arm around Jinsoul.

They share a look she cannot understand. Their eyes on her were so soft and understanding, but when they look at each other in that moment, it almost agonises her heart. Jinsoul disappears and with her is Jungeun.

They leave her alone and she remembers that her ceremony is tomorrow just before midnight. They leave her to deal with her loneliness. It reminds her of the times she had to go through Haseul’s absence. It hurts to think of it even now. It hurts to free herself from her guiding voice.

How did it even sound again? What colour was hers again? Why does it seem to long ago even when she has been gone for only a year. Not yet, not yet a year. They searched, looked and investigated everywhere she might have gone. Their defeat was apparent in their silence. Their refusal to give up declared itself when no one talked about moving on and leaving her behind. Reassurance turned into motivation that soon after a while, had transformed into Haseul being a memory. So fast.

“I will never give up.”

* * *

Yerim walks inside the empty house alone. Jinsoul and Jungeun stayed outside. Her biological parents smile from the old photographs, full of the promise of youth.

The woman that she shares the same smile with, her mother, stands in her wedding dress, modest by the standards of where Yerim lives. Simple and white. The one that she shares the same nose with, her father, is the proud man holding the arm of his pretty dame The sunlight reflecting from his unwrinkled face.

That was before... before the battles to keep the roof over their heads and food on the table. It was before his arthritis and her mother’s heart disorder surfaced.

More pictures, with dates after her birth. Without her. Non are there that holds her as a mare memory. Yerim was discarded by her parents. Her eyes drift higher on the tree of photos. She smiles when she finds them smiling to the camera that captures their wrinkled faces. At that point, they are much older, too old. She still shares that same smile with her mother. Her father’s feathers are hidden behind his old age, but still has the same nose as hers.

The last picture they share. The last one on the wall. She plucks it from its place and hold it with both her hands. She will take this one and claim it as hers. She will take it as reminder of who she really is. A reminder of who they are, even if they were strangers, they were her parents.

Yerim walks back to the main room, where she finds a dining table with only two chairs. Imagining that there is a space for a third one. One that she might have occupied if they had called her their daughter. The only image in her head, is when she was little. Jungeun teaching her how to write and read, Jinsoul making funny faces to distract her.

Her eyes goes to the sofa that faces a TV. She imagines herself with her parents on movie nights. The only thing she sees is Jungeun sleeping halfway through the movie. Yerim is much older now arguing with Jinsoul about the dumb plots of the movies. She imagines them on each other when they discovered their connection.

She watches the two standing outside the house arguing about her. Yerim peruses her lips and closes the front door of the unfamiliar house behind her. They hear it and both turn around. Jungeun comes up to her first.

There is passion and fire in her concerned gaze. It is apparent every day, that Yerim thought of herself a child again. Even when she is long into adulthood. It is a whole thing, more than metal, more than nostalgia. Those aromas they both hold, and the fervour it brought, are so entwined with memories of their love, those small moments of affection that built the foundation of who she is in their eyes.   
“Are you alright?” the strength of Jungeun’s usual tone dissolves into honey.   
“There is one more stop, then we can go back home” a touch that she leans into. It give her life and joy. She is fed the unconditional love her late parents refused to give it. Jungeun and Jinsoul fed her when she was little. They fed her when she was growing up and they are still providing her with all she wants.   
“You don’t have to see them” Yerim circles her arms around the softie that everyone seems to be scared of. She hides her way from the one Jungeun is hiding from. Not allowing Jinsoul to see her tears.

She understood that about the two. When they tended to her, they were also learning about each other. So Yerim hides Jungeun from the one person that means the world to her. Is this how much she cares? To the point where anger consumes a very tender and calm Jinsoul?   
“I will go alone” she smiles to Jinsoul who looks like she had decided to finally make a move towards them.

Yerim releases her and walks to where the only two graves are, under that lonely cherry blossom tree by the river. She doesn’t look behind her, she leaves the two alone. The silent conversation in that space between them creates an invisible wall that neither want to break.

“Hi, mom. Hi, dad” she crouches near their graves “I’m really happy with my family” she touches her mother’s grave then her father’s. Yerim huddles her legs against her chest “Rest in peace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys noticed, Olivia Hye is not Anger. Unlike Chuu or Yves who are the Love and Faith. Anger is inside of her or part of her. She is not Anger. This also applies for Gowon.  
> Also the first parts of Olivia Hye’s thoughts might be inspired by Monster-Irene & Seulgi. Yoejin’s part is inspired by Bloodborne the hunter’s beckoning bell.


	8. Blossom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,
> 
> Enjoy the chapter

“Is that heartless unemotional thing still following my daughter?”

Jiwoo felt bad that she exactly knew who Yunhee was referring to. Jinsoul is fun to be around. Yves said that Jinsoul is the only one who could understand her at first. There was a time where the jumper could not be understood. As much as Jinsoul and Jungeun share the same vitality, they tend to stray away from one another at the most sensitive moments. Jiwoo saw it happen too many times, it exhausted her. Love intrigued by the idea of them sharing the same soul. When Love looked closer, she found that their connection, their soul, all poured into Yerim’s exitance with them.

“She is harmless” Jiwoo relaxes the brush running softly on her scalp.

She is currently being pampered by Jungeun’s mother, and Jiwoo lives for this moment that distracts her from everything.   
“If I had the power to separate them, I would have done that a long time ago” harsh on the so called stranger, that is always at her daughter’s side. The same stranger that for countless occasions took hits for her precious daughter.   
“She loves her” Jiwoo hangs her head back and meets red liquid eyes. The noble mage smiles softy at her.   
“It’s like she’s blinded by something when it comes to that monster” Jiwoo has seen that many times.

It would start as a harmless funny prank. It ends with fire in Jungeun’s heart and they have to face her wreath. Not even Yerim could slip from her, only Jinsoul was the solution. She does get angry at the jumper, but it ends fast, because of the calm nature of Jinsoul.

“I think it’s beautiful, don’t you want her with someone that makes her happy?”

Right, the reason Jiwoo ran away. She avoided Yunhee’s question when she came here. She wanted to forget and never remembers the assaults of Faith on her. Jiwoo lost the meaning of being happy the moment Faith’s intention’s became clear to her. Now that she thinks of it, the last month has always been that way. Yves refusing to be with her, denying her everything. Not even a smile is spared her way. Faith never ignored her ever since that time in the garden.

“Is she really happy?” her voice is soft, ashen hair swayed by the wind. Her eyes are closed and a sad unwanted smile dreads her face.   
“She is.”

* * *

Under all circumstances, they felt that Yves needed to explain a lot more to them. Olivia Hye and Gowon both knew that they were left in the dark.   
They have a mission, and they always motivate each other to focus on the mission. That priorities must be set, and missions are high up on that list. Even if most missions are orders by earthlings.

“Don’t think about it too much” Gowon softly tells her as she hands her the uniform.   
“I heard that before” she scoffs. Gowon lowers her head to avoid the wolf’s sharp eyes.   
“That’s not fair” She retaliates. The wolf girl waited for explanation.

Why? They have already explained it. Even if it wasn’t the three that she hoped would come to take her with them. Instead, some strangers came to rescue before her judgment. They teach her how to use her heart, they teach her how to be someone else, but they never taught her to be who she wanted to be.   
“Sorry” alas, Gowon is right. It’s not fair to keep blaming them for something that happened a long time ago “I just don’t want to be left out again” afraid, that they might not trust her. She is afraid that something really had happened, and that they don’t even need her.

Evil was part of that anger, which she had no other choice, but to accept. Did they fear her uncontrollably? Was fear present all that time, but they had no idea it was eating them?

They both finish up dressing. Gowon detects the messy tie Olivia tried to make. She sees how Gowon sighs, making her way to her.   
“You know, It was either leaving and come back with help, or face judgment” Their only escape would be forever lost.   
“I just wished it wasn’t me.”  
“Why not?” they lock eyes. Olivia sees through Hope’s now green eyes a small memory. “You are the strongest between us” she sees them happily running away.

She watches them cross over from Eden and as they do, their mundane emotions burst, just like hers, when she first crossed over. She watches as they burst into hysterical crying. As three desperate lonely girls hug each other, wailing, promising that they will come back to free their friend. Wiping each other’s tears seeking comfort.

“You never showed me this before” Slow desolate tears ran from her unblinking eyes and dripped steadily. Olivia Hye turns around, embarrassed at herself. She wipes away her tears.   
“We all know you are stronger than us, but it doesn’t mean we want so show you our weak points” she realizes that she really misjudged them for what they have done. She turns around and tightly hugs the blonde girl.  
“Ughhh, Sooyoung… Hyejoo is suffocating me” Olivia smells Yves’ scent. The said leader partakes in the small display of affection and now hugs Gowon from behind, literally suffocating her. “Help, you are-”  
“You haven’t dressed yet” they mute the short girl between them, ignoring her calls for help.  
“I will get changed soon.”  
“You both need to back off before I blast you and break your bones.”

The threat was heard and they both simultaneously back away from a very red Gowon. She points at the leader, who is not taking the situation seriously “Get dressed or we are voting for a new leader” threating Yves who holds her arms up in surrender “Find the royalties” she then turns to Olivia Hye who does the same and walks away as ordered.   
Gowon approaches Yves from behind and throws her uniform to grab her attention. The caption turns around and thanks her.

* * *

“You’re late” she is angry all of the sudden. Olivia might be rough around the edges, but her logical thinking makes her almost always right. The caption might not want to see it, but she must listen.   
“Excuse me?” Yves says sarcastically. Gowon surprised at her reaction.   
“You think you can hide it, but you cannot” angry and irritated. Gowon cannot believe Yves would keep them in the dark, she understands that these are her own feelings. “You, being here, it means you haven’t spoken to Jiwoo” her volume is note higher What you did to her…” she trails off , wanting to make sense of her angered self “and now you are taking advantage of the fact that she lost some of her memories that day.”  
“How do you know?”   
“Really? Is that what you’re worried about? How I found out?” she gets caught by her arms, and Yves squeezes them hard, it surprises her how the captain freaks out as her facial expression darkens.  
“Please, tell me everything. I don’t remember any of this” shaking as she whispers.   
“Never know you assaulted her, you forced yourself on her and she ran away then that….thing grabbed her" she pushes the captain away.   
“What else did you see?” Yves keep looking behind her at the door, her words but whispers “I’m trying to find out, but I just…” trailing off to an unfinished sentence, loss at words, knowing she cannot have an excuse for what she did.   
“Took advantage of her?” she finishes that sentence for her leader “She trusts you the most out of all of us, and this is how you treat her?” darkness filled around them, Yves look hurt. There is disbelieve and a small frightened soul around her “She will eventually find out, and I suggest speaking to her before she abandons herself.”  
“She will not find out, Hyunjin said that she will not recover that pa-”  
“Are you stupid?” Yves might be surprised at Gowan’s persistent behavior “She is a detective” it is her wake up call to her friend “How do you think she will feel if she finds out that, _you,_ of all people, had lied to her?” Gowon walks away. She has had enough of whatever this is. Yves must tell Chuu and the least she could do, is apologize to the girl.

* * *

Adjusting her tie for the last time, Yves decided to knock on the door. One of the servant is behind it. she feels them move towards the handle and pull the door open. She nods her head and enters the crowded room.   
“Ready?” she finds Yeojin in a white dress.

The dress is simple. Almost the same as Heejin and Hyunjin’s. She looks really elegant and gorgeous! The dress features an off the shoulder neckline with delicate scalloped lace detail. A High waist with tie front ribbon. Flowy skater skirt. sheer lace fabric with lining. Yeojin shakes her head and her short light brown hair flows as she does that.   
“No.”  
“Why not?” Heejin come from the side. She in in a more formal wear. A long sleeved white shirt tucked under a skirt that ends just below her knees. Her heals elevated her, but she still misses some to match Yves’ height.   
“Because, I keep seeing that same place over and over again” Yeojin looks down. Sooyoung presses her index finger against Yeojin’s cheek, and shorter, much younger girl than her, looks up at her.   
“We will look into it when this is all over” Heejin nods with a hums in agreement. It seems to elevate her spirit.

Olivia Hye and Viian just entered the room as well. They dress in the same way Yves is dressed.   
“Okay, if you are ready then let’s go” Heejin gives the youngest between them a comforting hug and leads her towards the door. Olivia was blocking the way looking at Heejin like she was going to kill her. She was shoved out of the way by the little bunny and opens the door.

Yeojin is the first to lead behind her are Heejin and Hyunjin. They summon their swords. A snow white one a black one. They walk like her shadow as a bouquet of white unblossomed flowers are carried by the youngest. Olivia Hye and Viian follow suite. Gowon stands by Yves and they silently trail behind them.

Bells ring as they enter the main hall. Tall marble pillars coated with white silk. The half dome is painted with different colors, a war between good and evil. Haseul had explained it to her. The first battle between the awakened and the now royals. Born with powers and granted powers are two different things, Haseul said. Back then, she knew only of the fact that they are greedy and lust for power more than anything. Some do have good intentions, but others want everything.

Heejin and Hyunjin join the small crowd of acolytes and masters. Everyone is dressed in white. No other color. The only ones that stands out are the team and other security detail.

“Come forward” Yeojin places the un-blossomed white lilium flowers at the bottom of the steps that lead to where the speaker is standing. The speaker, is Yeojin’s own mother. She taps the lower tip of her staff on the ground, and the bell-ringers pause, the hall goes silent. She walks down, in her hand a small crown. “Today, a new flower shall bloom” she hands over the small crown and Yeojin faces the crowd after bowing to her mother. 

When Heejin’s father handed over the crown to his daughter, she also turned around, wore the crown and it glowed. It glowed so bright that the silk decorations around the pillars were all painted pink.

Nothing.

Not even a spark. The brighter the glow, the stronger they are. Heejin and Hyunjin were the only ones with bright glow that it colored the silk decorations along with their dresses.

Nothing.

Yves watches as the crown on top the girl’s head turns red. Blood seeps from atop of the girl’s head onto her cheeks. The crown dissolves. A yellow glow imitates from where the crown was. The voices of the crowd around them, were incoherent whispers.

“Evil” someone shouts.

Yeojin snapped out and looked around her with confusion in her eyes. She seems lost to the their accusations. She looked up at her own mother who hanged her head low, eyes the ground as if she was ashamed from her own daughter. Yves bites her lower lip. Fuck is she doing? Protect her, damn it. She silently shouts at that hag. Yoejin walks to her mother seeking answer and her path is blocked by two guards that pushed her away. Yoejin fell to the ground.

“Gowon” her voice is unrecognizable. Anger took over. Her eyes glow dark red as the blonde-haired ally moves forward. She stood at the center and placed a shield around Yeojin who was about to be whipped by one of the masters who was calling her evil.

“Dispose of them” he commands after his attack was blocked by Gowon, points his whip towards her.   
“Hye” Yves felt a beast behind her. It contaminated the hall when it roared. All white silk panted black and grey as it mouth opened to roar again. The acolytes scattered to the walls away from the terrifying beast that was set loose on them. The only ones that didn’t move back, were Heejin and Hyunjin.

The healer walked to where the crying girl was. Gowon lifts the shield and as she does, the master enchanted his whip with flames and sends it their way. Heejin cuts through the whip like it’s paper. The flame disappear from the detached part and her sword hovers inches away from the master’s throat.

“If you don’t want any bloodshed, let us leave” Yves speaks. She was about to leap towards the woman, sink a hand in her chest and crush her heart out. Viian kept a hand on her shoulder this entire time, Yves waited for her team to clean up instead.  
“She leaves to nowhere. She is my daughter and I do what I please with her” Yeojin’s mother taps her staff. The ground under them trembles. An earthquake shakes the ground from underneath their feet.   
“Then you leave us no choice” Yves hovers above the ground, her arms screeched besides her. She eyes the acolytes and takes control of their bodies. One by one, she lifts them above the ground and they start screaming. “Your people, or my friends” her arms lift up and the acylates fly up, attaching their frail bodies to the ceiling. They are clutching their throats searching for air. She can pop them one by one. Their blood would stain the stupid painting they so much worship.

“Enough” a man enters the room. Heejin’s father.   
“Then let us go” Yves’s request was simple, lower the shield so they can leave. She didn’t ask for that much. It was clear to her, she doesn’t understand why that hag is not letting them leave.   
“This is not worth fighting for. We have more important matters to attend to” Heejin’s father is a match for her destructive powers, reverses what Yves is doing.

All acolytes drop to the floor unharmed. Some were crying, some were unconscious and some were just terrified to lift their heads. “The shield is down, you may leave” he spoke again, but Yeojin’s mother didn’t say a word.

Hyunjin walks, in her arms is the weeping girl who was covered in blood that didn’t belong to her. Close behind her, was Heejin. Yves lowers herself to the ground.   
“Let’s go” Gowon walks away and Olivia shift back to her human form.

Everyone exits the area, leaving her behind with two who might put a scratch on her. “Come after us and I won’t just choke them, I will murder you all” she was still in her state. Her eyes shift back only when she turns to walk away.

Fuck, Jungeun is going to murder her first. That was not supposed to happen.

* * *

“Explain to me why the hell she is like that?”

Jungeun was passing through the practice room like a crazy person, mumbling to herself.

“it’s not her fault, we all saw what happened” Heejin speaks up. Sooyoung stands next to Jinsoul and is afraid to leave the woman’s side. Afraid that if she to just move a millimeter away, something will fly her way and end her. Heejin never saw Sooyoung this afraid for her life.   
“Threatening to commit a mass murder is also not her fault?” Jungeun extends her arms to her sides and stands there questioning the way Heejin is defending her.   
“Judge Yonne was going to feed us to the earth” if Yves hadn’t intervened, they were about be swallowed by the earth. “Furthermore, they were going to attack Yeojin, I almost killed a master” she shouts back at the captain.   
“Heejin, its fine” Sooyoung speaks up. She is still hiding near Jinsoul “I went overboard. Jungeun, I am sorry” she apologizes to the captain “It is my responsibility to make sure everything goes according to plan” she moves herself away from the jumper that she was hiding behind.   
“But it didn’t” Jungeun retorts.  
“No, it did not” Sooyoung looks down “But, I protected my friends. I will kill everyone if they were to lay a finger on her” she defends and Heejin watches Jungeun features harden.   
“Reckless” a hand on her shoulder squeezes Sooyoung “But we are trying to protect you from them. They will use any stupid reason to lock you up.”

“Guys!” Hyejoo comes in “You have to see this, hurry” she runs out as fast as she had come back in. The four of them leave the practice room and hurry to where Hyejoo had left. Jinsoul was already there. Heejin enters first. Her mouth hangs open.

“Oh fucking hell” Heejin exclaims. There is a moment where Heejin’s face washed blank with confusion, like her brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information from her wide eyes. Every muscle of her body just froze before a grin crept onto her face, it soon stretched from one side to the other showing every single tooth.  
“A demigod?” Sooyoung beat her to it. She has never seen them before, but her father used to speak of how only their presence, could end a mortal’s life. He described how they look. Either beautiful and mesmerizing, or extremely terrifying.

This is not what Heejin is looking at. There, the demigod, hovering above the ground, the left wing is as black as night, dark with black particles disappearing into thin air. The left wing is the exact opposite, as white as snow with feathers falling, disappearing into thin air. An orange pulsating halo behind their back. Heejin looks at the face. Their features obscured by light mixed with darkness.

“It’s Yoejin” Hyejoo clears. What?  
“WHAT?!” Jungeun walked to her, but was held back by Jinsoul and Yves. Why? Hyejoo is in front of Heejin. Is she using herself as a shield?   
“You cannot near her, she is discovering herself” Chaewon is the only one to enter Yeojin’s personal space. Heejin watches the way Jungeun clinging to Jinsoul now. Heejin also catches the unsurprised face of the jumper. “Can you hear me?” Chaewon hovers above the ground cupping both Yeojin’s cheeks.   
“Yes,” a male voice? “I can hear you” a female. The female is not Yeojin. The wings flap once. A small action. It sends them all flying back to the wall.   
“Chaewon! contain her” Sooyoung shouts. The delicate descendant shakes her head, refusing to follow on Sooyoung’s orders.   
“Chae, calm her down” Hyejoo speaks. She is tensed up, breathing so harshly.

Kahei was brought inside the room by Yerim. The purple haired girl walks slowly to the demigod. “Yeojin?” she questions.   
“Yerim?!” a mix of voices escape from the demigod, the wings move about to flap again.   
“CAREFUL!” Jungeun screamed. There wasn’t a shockwave, this time an attack directed at Yerim. Heejin was about to move along with the wolf, but they were late. Jinsoul had already teleported to her and blocked the attack with back.

“Unnie?” Yerim horrified face fell along with the woman who falls to the ground. A nasty cut on her back and blood stains her shirt.

Jungeun rushes and falls to her side. Sooyoung stands in front of the demigod and prepares to defend them against the attack. Heejin was about to unsheathe her sword, but Hyejoo’s hand stop her. She shakes her head.   
“She cannot see us a threat. Let’s just defend ourselves” Vivi has joined Yves.   
“Take her to Hyunjin” Yves commands “Choerry,” the girl jumps at the mention of her name “Snap out of it. Take her to Hyunjin” she repeats without looking. Yerim nods and places a hand on Jinsoul and disappears into thin air.   
“what do we do?” Heejin asks the captains. Jungeun seems to have recovered, but has no idea how to handle the situation. The look on her face, makes Heejin afraid that if Jungeun is clueless and cannot rile the up, then they will have to count on Sooyoung.

“Chae, asks her if she can change locations” Hyejoo calls from her position, now fully covering Heejin. The girl nods.

They wait a minute. “Sure” the mix of voices answers, as were debating on something, then agreeing to their request.

In a second, they travel from their current location to another place. A forest, dead white trees. Heejin looks down to her feet, under her, the grass is white. There is a bits of green, but overpowered by the unnatural whiteness. She looks around, her senses finding a state of freedom. A serenity that she was never acquainted to. An unfamiliar symmetry, that frees itself from the shackles of reality.

“We cannot leave her, was supposed to choose one, but chose both of us” the voices blending with each other, echoing in the empty vast land.

“It’s her body, she is the owner, you have no right to claim her” Chaewon is still hovering nest to the demigod.

“She gave us permission.”

“She is not yours.”

“fallen powerless gods, you have no say in this” the wings thrashing again, this time, Chaewon has her shield up, it blocks all of the attack going towards Sooyoung.

“She set some rules, you are breaking the rules. She gave you permission to protect her, not to take over” Chaewon has blocked another attack. It doesn’t affect her.

“Abandoned gods, you are friends of our vessel?”

Heejin watches their interaction, the demigod calling them abandoned gods, as if it’s their enemy. The being or beings, are speaking as if they were past of Yeojin.

“We are,” Sooyoung speaks again “She is our friend and you’re attacking us for no reason” she steps forward, going through the shield. Sooyoung lifts herself off of the ground and extend her hand. “She is my friend, and if you don’t give her back, it will nullify your contract with her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and until the next update.


End file.
